Why does this blog exist?

About one year ago, I added a blog to my website as a way to speak publicly about an unfortunate situation that I encountered during graduate school. Those posts were effective: They were seen by tens of thousands of people within a few days time. I received hundreds of messages from colleagues around the world.

I thought that I would take down the blog a few weeks after the second round of sanctions were imposed against my abuser. At most, I figured I’d wait a few months. But as time passed, I realized that people were continuing to view the blog. I began to wonder about the role it was playing in my career, and the role it might play in others’.

I have decided to maintain these pages on my website. My posts are a record of what happened. They are, for better or worse, a part of my career and myself. But more importantly, they have been a resource to folks struggling with similar situations. Dozens of people have reached out to me with stories of their own, many seeking advice. While I haven’t had much to offer on the advice front, I have been able to offer support. I want to continue to do that.

While the impact of these events on my career cannot be measured, it is clear that speaking publicly was not as career-threatening as many told me it would be. So, if nothing else, I hope the blog is a helpful reminder that people in difficult situations can speak up (at least, if they do so carefully). Perhaps, too, it will serve as a reminder to those who hold tenured positions about the power that they have to advocate for students (as Dick Aslin and Frank Keil did for me).

Many have asked me what sanctions were ultimately imposed. I do not know the details, nor do I need to. What I can say is that, one year later, I feel that a partial justice was achieved. I am relieved — and the happiest I have been in my life.