Professor discusses sexual misconduct in Toronto event

UO psychologist Jennifer Freyd was among panelists at an #AfterMeToo symposium that focused on issues related to the reporting and response to allegations of sexual assault and harassment that have rocked the entertainment, news and political worlds.

The symposium, organized by Toronto’s Globe and Mail newspaper to explore new policies against sexual misconduct, featured a keynote address by Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould that was widely shared on social media afterward.

During the panel discussion, Freyd told the audience that “there needs to be a safe reporting structure … that considers what kinds of responses are harmful or hurtful” when developing a policy that encourages reports by victims of sexual misconduct.

In an interview with the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. immediately after the symposium, Freyd said: “There’s a certain buildup of rage at seeing powerful people get away with this and not be held accountable. It’s really exciting to see the public talk about this.”

The almost two-hour #AfterMeToo symposium can be viewed online in its entirety.

To read the CBC’s post-symposium story in which Freyd is quoted, see “#AfterMeToo event calls for new policies against sexual misconduct.”