After reading Martha Cody’s commentary (“The truth of the matter,” Feb. 8), you would think that Cal Poly is doing its best to create a safe and professional campus environment. The truth is that Cal Poly is more interested in not being sued than it is in creating a safe environment. When it comes to protections of workers and learners on campus, Cal Poly reacts differently to the same exact violation of people’s basic rights. Cal Poly considers the same treatment of individuals as “harassment” if it happens to someone in a protected class, or “unprofessional behavior” if it happens to someone not in a protected class. People in protected classes have federal protections; other people remain at the mercy of their attackers, as Cal Poly has nothing to lose by doing nothing to correct known issues. This double standard effectively condones unprofessional behavior on campus.
Bryan Mealy
electrical engineering department
Cal Poly SLO
This article appears in Feb 22 – Mar 4, 2018.