Truth and Authenticity in the Time of Cancel Culture

I conceptualized EQUILLY because I care about young people. I cannot imagine what it would be like to come of age in a time where everything is memorialized in cyberspace for an eternity. A world where there is no room for missteps or growth. A world in which optics have become more important than truth.

During my preliminary market research someone said to me, "How to do you expect schools to be more fair and equitable with students when many institutions fuel a toxic environment in which disparate treatment of employees is the norm." I heard this but it did not fully resonate with me until recently.

I cannot stay silent. My friend, a 67 year-old woman of color, with decades of experience in higher education, was recently let go of a new job due to a false accusation by her former employer -- an employer that forced her resignation without investigation in a blatantly discriminatory manner.

The details surrounding the forced resignation are as follows: GW overheard two employees arguing. The new female employee requested an invoice before cutting a check in accordance with the school's policy. The male employee was incensed and called the female employee an "aggressive black woman." GW sent an even-handed email to both parties telling them that their behavior was inappropriate and that they needed to conduct themselves in a more professional manner. The male employee mischaracterized GW's involvement in the event and GW was forced to resign without any investigation into the matter. The female employee was also fired.

GW found a new job at a university in another state. Months after her departure from the previous institution, the President of that University blamed GW, very publicly in a school audit, for a contract that was granted without procurement. The auditor found that the contract came under the purview of two departments. GW did not have signing authority over either of those departments. The President went on to tell the auditor that GW was fired as a result of this indiscretion. In reality, GW had left the institution long before the audit ever took place.

When her new employer got wind of the audit, she was fired from her new job. That university jumped on the bandwagon, sharing GW's photo and name, causing further damage to her reputation. She applied for another job and was told by the head hunters that the bad press would likely exclude her from consideration.

How do we expect our young people to learn from such poor examples? Accountability only exists when those who blatantly discriminate are held accountable. Knowingly creating false narratives with complete disregard for other people's reputations and livelihoods is despicable and unacceptable. This should not be normalized.

We need to create a culture of truth, honesty and integrity. Our kids deserve better role models. Be emboldened to tell the truth. . .it really will set you free.