David Letterman paying the price

I am disappointed that two weeks of media scrutiny on the Letterman scandal have yielded precious little criticism on the sensitive point here called (pardon my wording) employer-employee relations.

Now, perhaps I am wrong and again out of touch with the times, but I've always thought that someone in a position of authority must tread carefully indeed when he or she is personally attracted to someone working for them. I was but one of millions of people horrified by the behavior of an American president not so many years ago who got himself involved with a young woman barely over the age of twenty-one. How many young women could have resisted the allure of a romance with a president of the United States? (Apparently, we must hold John F. Kennedy to the same moral standards in this regard as many of us demanded of Bill Clinton.)

We all face temptation of many kinds. To be human is to be tempted.

I often shake my head in wonder (but secretly, I hope) at the sheer beauty I find in many of my students and colleagues. Like everyone else, I am terribly, unalterably human. I am a happy “shen-fu” (priest) and have taken a sacred vow of chastity, but nevertheless, I've got eyes in my head and a heart that feels. My conscience tells me that even if I were not a priest, to court or make romance with someone over whom I have influence (with grades, recommendation letters and so on) is inherently wrong. Under pressure from an extortionist, Mr. Letterman says he was intimate on several occasions with persons whose jobs in some way depended on him and his decisions. His actions reveal a blatant disregard of the moral responsibility given him as a boss. It is simply not right to engage in hanky-panky with people whose paychecks and career advancement rely partly on you.

It is not right, even if your name is David Letterman.

Father Daniel J. Bauer SVD is a priest and associate professor in the English Department at Fu Jen Catholic University.

1|2

PrintEmail

Write a Comment

Terms

Enter your comments - 3000 characters max

Type in image code

Submit

 Receive China Post promos
 Respond to this email