She Won’t Be Silenced: Judge Refuses to Dismiss Discrimination Suit Against Ad Agency Exec

Legendary advertising agency J. Walter Thompson and its parent company WPP has failed in their attempt to silence a female communications officer who has accused JWT’s former chief of sexist and racist behavior, as discussed in this Wall Street Journal article: “Judge Denies WPP’s Motion to Dismiss Discrimination Lawsuit.”

Their motion to dismiss the discrimination lawsuit was denied by the court. By challenging the lawsuit WPP signals the attitudes that prevail in the old boy's club. Given that this advertising giant also helps organizations build brand and reputation values, and influences customer behaviors, they, rather than condoning abusive behaviors, should set an example of going above and beyond their duty to right what has gone wrong. 

Photo: Former JWT chief executive Gustavo Martinez in the Wall Street Journal; credit, D. Dipasupil/Getty Images

Have We Entered a New Age of Bullying?

More than a decade of bullying prevention in public schools is being undone by the messages spread by the American president-elect. The Southern Poverty Law Center has recorded the highest surge in reports of bullying, harassment and racist displays since 9/11. My fear is that bullies will also feel emboldened to bring this sort of behavior into the workplace. On a recent speaking tour in the Midwest, people came up to me afterward to tell stories of how employers used their “employed at will” status to remind them they could be fired at any time. This excellent article by anti-bullying author Emily Bazelon in the New York Times takes a closer look in Bullying in the Age of Trump. But it’s important to remember that one of the first steps in curbing bullying, especially in the workplace, is to find out how employees feel about their jobs and why they feel that way. This is why the Faas Foundation has partnered with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence to survey working people about their complicated feelings about their work. You can participate by taking this survey, and please share it with those you know. It’s only by making our voices heard that we will be able to create the psychologically healthy, safe and fair workplaces we so desperately need. 

Photo: BIGSTOCK