Recent revelations that an Oregon CEO engaged in years of sexual harassment of multiple victims indicate that  “There just aren’t enough legal incentives for employers to truly rein in this abusive behavior,” according to Lewis & Clark Professor Keith Cunningham-Parmeter. Employers often seek legal protection by establishing programs for reporting abuse and training around workplace behavior that do not actually do much good in reducing harassment. “We’ve had 50 years of anti-harassment law and yet harassment is still rampant,” observes Cunningham-Parmeter. “One of the lessons of MeToo is the law does a pretty lousy job of protecting workers from sexual harassment.” 

Jesse Johnson spent 25 years in prison in Oregon, 17 of them on death row.  HUSH, a new podcast from OPB on which Lewis & Clark Professor Michele Okoh served as an advisor, explores why he served this wrongful sentence, and what still needs to change for our justice system to be truly just.  Lewis & Clark Professor Aliza Kaplan notes in episode 9 of HUSH, “These are very unpopular cases because people don’t want to look backwards and admit that there was a mistake made, or that we’ve learned something new today.”

What’s an especially Lewis & Clark way to celebrate the Jewish New Year? By going apple-picking on Portland’s beautiful Sauvie Island with other college students.  “It means a lot to me to get to interact with other people who are also Jewish in fun spaces outside of synagogue,” notes Elliott Negrin, co-president of Lewis & Clark Hillel.