The Slippery Slope: Struggling for Equity in the Academy in the Era of # MeToo

The complexity of the sexual harassment language of the #MeToo movement creates discontinuities that may muddy intended communications. Yet understanding this language provides a fuller picture of the experiences that women face . Gender harassment has persisted in the workplace despite long‐standing antidiscrimination policies , perhaps because of a universal failure to recognize all forms of it—some of which are more pervasive and common than sexual abuse . This article considers the ability of the academy to affect sexual harassment in public administration . It discusses the implications of gender harassment , the least recognized form of sexual harassment , and makes recommendations for overcoming gender barriers in the academy and in practice . Evidence‐based guidance for advancing women in the academy may create more equitable and just spaces for teaching and learning . Public administration classrooms and scholarship represent critical opportunities to recognize patterns of organizational practice and systematically redress gender harassment in the workplace .