Campus sexual harassment and sexual assault are back in the headlines with news about charges against superstar astronomer Geoff Marcy that have prompted his resignation from the University of California at Berkeley (see NYT, “Geoffrey Marcy to Resign From Berkeley Astronomy Department“).

Marcy’s case calls attention to the apparent difficulties many universities, including our own, have in pursuing sexual allegations involving prominent faculty and staff. Actually, I think the problems extend far beyond these cases with prominent perpetrators, but these high profiles cases call attention to the problem.

And the University of Hawaii plays a role in Marcy’s drama.

One of four former students who brought the complaint that triggered the current imbroglio was UH when she was assaulted by Marcy, according to the findings of a Berkeley investigation.

According to an account in Buzzfeed, which broke the story earlier this week (“Famous Berkeley Astronomer Violated Sexual Harassment Policies Over Many Years“):

BuzzFeed News spoke to three of the four complainants in the investigation. One of the women, known as Complainant 3, studied astronomy as a graduate student. She spoke on the condition of anonymity because she did not want her involvement in the matter to affect her current job.

According to her account to Berkeley’s Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination, she was at a post-colloquium dinner with her graduate department at the University of Hawaii when Marcy placed his hand on her leg, slid his hand up her thigh, and grabbed her crotch.

She didn’t register an official complaint until eight years later, by which time she’d left astronomy — in part, she said, because of the sexual harassment she and other female astronomers experienced. “When you’re a student and you see every complaint being ignored, and every male professor who has violated that have zero consequences, it really makes you not want to step forward,” she said.

In that brief description, it certainly sounds like the woman was a UH student at the time of the incident.

One of Marcy’s former students, John Asher Johnson, now a professional astronomer in his own right at Harvard, had some harsh words last week for Marcy, for himself, and for his profession. Most important, perhaps, is his assertion that Marcy’s reputation was well known among astronomers. From his blog post, “The Long Con“:

Geoff’s inappropriate actions toward and around women in astronomy is one of the biggest “open secrets” at any exoplanets or AAS meeting. “Underground” networks of women pass information about Geoff to junior scientists in an attempt to keep them safe. Sometimes it works. Other times it hasn’t, and cognizant members of the community receive additional emails, phone calls and Facebook messages from new victims.

In 2013 I received tenure. Leading up to my tenure decision, I decided that I would use my position, voice and male privilege to finally do something about the open secret—Geoff’s long con of holding the community in fear to provide himself cover to continue harassing our junior female colleagues. Yes, I have greatly benefited from Geoff’s letters over the years. But his publication record shows that he has benefitted from my scientific productivity. In 2013 I figured we were square, and I effectively ended our 13-year collaboration.

I’m ashamed that I didn’t speak out sooner. I hate that academia’s power structure, which allows a single phone call from a senior member to sink a person’s career, so often forces junior people into silence for fear of losing their jobs. For this reason I am in awe of the bravery of the women who spoke out all the more; they were far braver than I and other male astronomers have been over the years.

Last year, Johnson published what he called “The Serial Harasser’s Playbook,” based on his personal observations and of incidents reported by others over the years. What Johnson lays out are a series of progressive steps that serve to trap victims and give perpetrators plausible deniability.

Keep in mind that these steps are “designed” so as to provide escape hatches in case the target is not receptive. Any step in isolation, save the last few, are not by themselves strong evidence of harassment, and I expect many commenters (mainly men) to complain. But you should think of this as a slow ratcheting process that can be released with plausible deniability a any one stage. If the woman doesn’t cry foul at step N, then the harasser is off to step N+1. If you have a complaint about any of these steps, take them to your campus’s Title IX officer for further discussion and clarification. For women: in all things trust your instincts.

Another astronomer, writing in Science 2.0, notes that some allegations against Marcy were not acts of sexual harassment, but rather of sexual assault, but covered up or tolerated for years by his peers and academic administrators (see “The Alleged Perversion of Geoff Marcy and Sexual Harassment“).

In any case, moving this discussion into the public arena is long overdue.