BellaOnline Forums Career Library Sciences Black Librarian Alleges 'Pretty Girl' Bias

A Harvard University librarian claims in a lawsuit that she has been rejected repeatedly for promotion because she is black and is perceived as just a "pretty girl" whose attire was too "sexy."

As a jury was chosen Monday to decide her federal lawsuit, Desiree Goodwin said she's been rejected for 16 jobs at Harvard since 1999, when she completed her master's degree in library science after attending night classes at Simmons College for 4 1/2 years.

Read the rest of the article here at Find Law:

I read the article with interest. A portion of the article states:

If this is what Ms. Goodwin's supervisor said to her, her race does not seem to be an issue here, rather it is incidental.



I worked for university legal counsel for 25 years and I can tell you that the EEOC does not leave a stone unturned when they come after you <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> If they dismissed the case, my guess is she should not have tried to make a case based on 'black and pretty'. However, I do believe that there is probably some prejudice on the part of Harvard concerning the way she dressed, especially in her role as librarian. Unfortunately, women are still judged by the way they dress. To some dressing sexy often means "brainless bimbo" or "easy to bed". This is not the standard 'librarian' picture we have in our heads. You do have to dress appropriately for your job.

I don't think it's only women who are judged by their clothing. Everyone is. I personally don't want a librarian of any gender to be dressed in tight clothes or low-cut blouses. I want them to look professional. If she wants to be seen as professional, then she should dress accordingly. I remember my young teen and I watching a teenager interview for a job. I commented to my child that the applicant wasn't dressed appropriately. My child said her clothes were completely fashionable, so I pointed out that the interviewer was my age, not hers. The girl needed to dress to impress the interviewer, not her friends. Boys too--a boy who came to an interview in torn jeans would be less impressive than one who came in business attire. It doesn't have to be expensive--just neat and appropriate.

I totally agree Terrie. You are so on target.

It's a fine line to walk, professional dress and personal expression. It would be interesting to see photos of the "sexy outfits." In whose opinion are they sexy? Are they sexy simply because she's an attractive woman?