From: wab@well.sf.ca.us (Doc Benzene)
Subject: Re: Larry Michels Behavior Problems (Inside SCO)
Followup-To: ba.politics,talk.politics.misc
Keywords: Larry Michels behavior problems
Organization: Hell Hole, Inc.
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 09:30:23 GMT

First off, take this out of biz.sco.general.  But you
SCO-techies should really take the time to follow this thread
instead of just niggling over the finer points of writing
device drivers...

In article <9212090847.aa02413@openage.COM> paul@openage.com (Paul A. Fischer, Sr UNIX Sys Consultant) writes:
>>His laywers were quick to point out that what Larry Michels says is not
>>the way he really feels.  From the news I've read and the native
>>drums ( I live in Santa Cruz ) - I gather this is the tip of an iceberg.

Yes.  Keep reading.

>>So now that you have the background - on to the question.  Does Larry Michels'
>>behavior and amazing sensitivity change your view of SCO and their
>>products?
>
>I wait for proof.  I wait for confirmation of what is now hearsay.  And I wait 
>to see the outcome.  Sex scandles aren't something new, and I've seen them go 
>both ways.

I wouldn't have posted in biz.sco.general except for this
answer and a majority of replies with the same gestalt, i.e.,
"Hey, this is hearsay, we shouldn't even discuss it until it's
proved, and these cases are often baseless anyway."  No, this
really shouldn't be discussed here, but if you're going to
whitewash SCO outright then a little countervailing
corroboration is in order.

I worked for SCO for a couple of years.  I'm not the oldest of
hands but I knew Employee 3 and lots of the original Chestnut
crowd and myself put a lot of rings on the SCO hot tub, long may it
live in sacred memory.  I was in on some first shell prompt
parties.  I interviewed with Doug Michaels when I hired on.
I've heard just about every SCO story in the book and I still
get a regular dose of the company grapevine.  So I really do
know the straight skinny when I say that sexual harassment
has been endemic at the executive level at SCO since I've known
the company.

I want to be precise about a few things:  First, many accounts of
harassment I know of came straight from the victims; most of
the rest were one person removed.  Second, the perpetrators
were a small group of the top executives of the company, the
"Oak Row" crowd in company parlance.  I certainly don't think 
SCO as a company fostered an atmosphere of sexual harassment.
All of the incidents I know of took place at the level of
company director or above.  Last, SCO has had and continues to
have a strong cadre of women in management positions.

That said, the harassment was *not* minor.  These three women
(whose stories I cannot corroborate) *were* just the tip of
the iceberg.  Yeah, there were rumors all over Santa Cruz
about SCO's executive gropers.  For good reason.  Some of the
methodical harassers seemed like they were working their way
through every woman in the company.  I heard from numerous
women that certain executives you just shouldn't be alone in a
room with, that these executives made unwelcome comments about
their bodies, etc.  In fact, the prevalent knowledge of this
pattern of sexual advances by, and the repellent sexual nature
of, certain SCO executives was the basis for a whole subculture
of SCO humor.  Looking back, I suppose laughing about it was
probably not the right way to handle it, especially as the
jokes often drew fresh testimony from women.  "Yeah, he came
shuffling after me with drool running down his chin last
week..."

I'm not naming names because, as far as I can remember, I was
not actually present during a clearly defined incident of
sexual harassment.  I'm not going to even pretend to be
non-biased but I'll try to stick to the strict rules of
evidence.  It should be a matter of record, though, that
regardless of the individuals involved sexual harassment by
upper-level management was considered the norm at SCO.  Even
as the issue of legal guilt is initiated the court of public
opinion is adjudicating the matter of de facto guilt.  The
defendant's high-priced lawyers are already impugning the
women who are bringing this suit.  They're making their case
in the papers, so shouldn't the court of all ears hear all
sides?

If any SCO employees or former employees would like to post
accounts of sexual harassment, they can do so through me
anonymously.  For anything too raw or specific with regard to the people
involved I would need for corroboration, but I will repost
accounts that I'm reasonably sure are true as is.  I'm not
being officiously moral; I'm just offering a venue for people
afraid for their jo


					Bill Baker
					wab@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: biz.sco.general