Women MBA candidates are on offensive list

DEAR AMY » Iam part of an international MBA program at a wellknown university.

I found out men in the program put together a list ranking all women in the program by their looks. I’m furious and disappointed that men who are supposed to be my peers subjected women to this.

I was told who started the list, and others involved, but I haven’t personally seen this list.

I’m thinking about writing a letter to the faculty. Others suggested asking for the expulsion of the men who contributed to the list, and to suggest that if they have time to come up with rankings, maybe they are not taking this MBA program seriously. I feel as though this list is a slap in the face after everything women have been going through, and I don’t want this sort of treatment or behavior to be normalized.

— Disgusted DEAR DISGUSTED » You have every right to be angry. The MeToo movement is demonstrating that normalizing harassment creates toxic environments and havens for predatory behavior. This needs to stop. Do not count on the university faculty or administration to handle it to your satisfaction.

Think of this challenge a bit like going into battle: you need to arm yourself with knowledge, and begin building an army. Connect with your fellow female candidates. Deploy some MBA-level networking to form a coalition.

If you find hard evidence this list exists, publicize it, share it widely and use the list itself to expose the people behind it. When you do so, mask the identity of the women named, but display the identities of those who created and shared it.

If you aren’t able to receive hard proof of the list, make an appointment with a faculty member and the dean. Insist that they investigate your allegation. Also consider sending an “open letter” to the university community.

Most importantly, save (and screenshot) everything; the list itself, any communication regarding the list or any references to it on social media.

Don’t get discouraged: Speak up, be fearless and don’t let anyone convince you that this isn’t a big deal. This is a very big deal, and it should be taken seriously.