February 19, 2006
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**bold is my emphasis -kt
Md. official sends letter to woman he ogled
2/17/2006, 10:07 p.m. CT
By TOM STUCKEYThe Associated Press
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — State Comptroller William Donald Schaefer sent a letter Friday to a woman he embarrassed by ogling at a meeting, telling her, "Sorry you were put thru an ordeal!"
In the handwritten letter, he complimented Elizabeth Krum for handling the resulting flap "as a trooper" and said he did not intentionally embarrass her.
Krum, who works for Republican Gov. Robert Ehrlich, brought Schaefer, an 84-year-old Democrat and former governor, a cup of tea Wednesday at a Statehouse meeting. He stared intently as she walked away from him to return to the governor's office, then summoned her back to the table just as she reached the door.
As more than 100 people watched, Krum returned to the table. "Walk again," the 84-year-old comptroller told her, and again looked at her as she walked away.
Schaefer was roundly criticized for the incident, which Krum, 24, said embarrassed her.
Shareese DeLeaver, a spokesman for the governor, said Krum was pleased to get the letter and hopes it will bring media interest to an end.
Sen. Sharon Grosfeld, a Democrat, said the letter did not constitute an apology.
"He needs to do a very public apology to her and take responsibility for the inappropriate and outrageous behavior that he perpetuated toward her," Grosfeld said.
Less than two hours before the letter was delivered, Schaefer told reporters he had nothing to apologize for.
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Are you fucking kidding me? How does an elected official get away with treating someone this way in PUBLIC and then have it DOCUMENTED in a goddamn ASSOCIATED PRESS story and he's still in office?!?!? Seriously?
Comments (5)
That is ridiculous that it would be documented and he still not face some sort of penalty. yet another story from Katy. I enjoyed reading that article about the kissing. I just found it in my other email. I hadnt checked there in a few days.
Would you really like him thrown out of office immediately, do you think he should resign? That seems a little drastic, BUT I seriously doubt that it was the first time anylike that happened bc of him. He is one of those guys that does that. If there is a pattern, I wonder if others will come forward and then we could have another Clinton/Schwartzeneger incident.
So he is still in office. Should we kick him out for primal fantasies? Haven't we (you and I, I mean) before agreed that the Clinton "scandal" was a political hoax, while he actually had sexual relations with a woman knowing that it would likely become public. True, Clinton did not demean her publicly, but this oldguy did nothing but admire a woman's appearance (albeit crudely). That is not grounds for expulsion from office. Anyway, this is an eighty-four year old career public servant. (check his bio at http://www.comp.state.md.us/main/about_the_comptroller/about_wds/biography.asp ). He is not a bad guy. I think that it is a mistake to pass judgment on a man based on an as-we-know-it isolated event when he has served as-far-as-we-know honorably for so long. What penalty do you guys suggest? Throw him in jail, civil suit, career ending humiliation? Maybe he isn't sorry, so at the next election the good people of Maryland can throw his ass out of office. But not before then.
Oh, and what is with that quote:
"He needs to do a very public apology to her and take responsibility for the inappropriate and outrageous behavior that he perpetuated toward her," Grosfeld said.
If anyone caused this incident to be remembered it was the media and the talking heads like Grosfeld who comment on it. I don't think Schafer "perpetuated" anything "toward" her. Careless phrasing, I think.
Leering after someone whom you find attractive is indeed human nature, although in a business setting it is somewhat inappropriate. Leering after someone, then calling them back to you only to then tell them to turn around and walk away from you again for the sole purpose of "checking them out" a second time is beyond indecent. At the very moment he did that he took immediate control of her dignity and made sure she knew who was holding the power. He created her purpose: to satisfy his own needs regardless of her own, in turn, making a clear distinction between her status and that of his own. Not to mention that it was in front of over 100 other people; people whose respect she probably valued. And he thanks her for handling it "like a trooper"? As in, "Thanks for taking one for the team"? As in, "Thanks for letting us all check out your ass during the last session!"? Fuck that. No person has the right to strip another person of their human dignity. Did he set out to do that? Did she feel completely humiliated and second class? We don't know. But reading about and discussing events like this one should definitely be more common place than they usually are; they should not be swept under the rug or given the old "wink, wink; Men will be men" dusting.
So do I really think he should be thrown out of office right now? No. But the output can't change if you don't change the input, people. I know, I know. I'm preaching to the choir here. Or at least I hope I am. I'm just tired of working so hard and having so many friends say it won't matter and there are so many assholes in office. It does matter. You have to help. We all do.
what kind of pants was she wearing?
Stripping her of her dignity? Really? By admiring her appearance, perhaps crudely, you are stripping her of her human dignity? I agree that there are issues that necessitate discussion in order that they are not "swept under the rug", but minor cases of sexual harrassment do not warrant such public discussion OR disclosure. Like the article said, Krum was happy to see that the media attention would end with the letter. But here we are discussing it. He objectified her; he did not mutilate, rape, segregate, isolate, or harmfully ignore her suffering. If anyone's dignity was brought into question, it was his. He did not "create her purpose". That is ridiculous. He objectified her! He displayed his seniority over her, which she consents to by working where she does. And he abused this seniority, which is a reflection on his character and not hers. My bottom line is this--there are greater issues that REQUIRE our attention, and sexual objectification is an issue that continues to this day, but not to the magnitude that it once did. Woman have taken magnificent strides toward social equality. Personally, I do not think you are giving her enough credit as an individual in control of her own dignity and purpose.
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