By Carlos Miller
A U.S. Navy Commander who has served for more than 20 years claims a female Miami Herald reporter sexually harassed him over a period of four years by making lewd references to his sexual orientation and suggesting he stick a red hot poker into his ass.
Jeffrey Gordon, a Pentagon spokesman based out of Guantanamo, said the torment he endured was worse than what Guantanamo detainees have gone through.
As a son of a World War II Navy veteran, all I can say is things sure have changed within the U.S. Navy.
Herald Guantanamo correspondent Carol Rosenberg is also accused of making Gordon do his job by “sending a dozen or more queries a day on topics which we have already exhausted after two or three email and telephone exchanges,” according to a written complaint he sent to the publisher of The Miami Herald.
Even though publisher Anders Gyllenhaal received the complaint last month, the Herald didn’t mention anything about it until the story was reported on other media sources.
And even then, the Herald only ran a three paragraph brief on the inside of its local page. Nothing on the internet.
For the full story, check out my article on NBC Miami.
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3 responses so far ↓
1 Mister DNA // Jul 26, 2009 at 11:58 PM
Carlos,
Not to sound insensitive, but is Gordon being ironic claiming his torment was worse than what the Guantanamo detainees endured? You know, like the Pete Hoekstra meme?
Yeah, I RFTA, but I still feel as though I’m missing something. The reporter’s behavior is offensive, yes, but Gordon is coming off like a douche, as well.
2 Carlos Miller // Jul 27, 2009 at 12:02 AM
I don’t think he is being ironic. Maybe just dramatic.
3 Bruce // Jul 28, 2009 at 5:28 AM
I did a lot of reading on this one just yesterday. If the reporter said the things that the complaint alledges (and there are supposedly witnesses to some of them) then she was totally out of line.
I’m all for the First Amendment, as well as all of the first 10 and the majority of the rest, but some of the allegations, should they be proven, are most definitely sexual harrassment.
The references to his sexuality, the “red hot poker” reference, and many others can not be defended under the First Amendment, or any other provision of the Constitution or the law.
From the Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/24/AR2009072403664.html
Rosenburg is alleged to have stated:
“Have you ever had a red hot poker shoved up your [butt]? Have you ever had a broomstick shoved up your [butt]? . . . How would you know how it feels if it never happened to you? Admit it, you liked it.”
and
Rosenberg said to him and more than a dozen journalists and soldiers nearby: “Seeing him topless in tent city was the most repulsive sight I’ve ever seen in my life. I wanted to vomit.”
and
“I know you’re hot for your interns and bring them down as your ‘companions,’ but seriously, if I’m going to do their work anyway, what purpose do they serve?”
I’m NOT saying the allegations are true, only that if they are, she needs to be held fully accountable and there must be an investigation into the allegations just like any other allegation of sexual harassment. Being a female, a reporter, a member of Congress, or a company president does not merit special treatment (being a Supreme Court Justice however, apparently does as I believe they are exempt and apparently the President of the US is fairly immune to prosecution as well).
I had a friend, a female friend, brought up on sexual harassment charges. By a person who wasn’t even present during the alleged harassment and none of the persons present felt harassed. She was exonerated but there was an investigation as the law requires, because the charge was made.
Let’s see how this one pans out and hope that the truth comes out.
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