Alec Klein, a professor at Northwestern University, resigned recently after 22 women accused him of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment and bullying. He denied the accusations, and after the first of them were publicized (in February of this year) he took a leave of absence but apparently with the expectation the coast would in time clear, the storm would blow over, and he could return to his post. In August, though, he resigned, full stop. Who was he? Why was he important enough for the case to attract national attention? That's the tack I often take when these matters come to light. There are lots of jerks -- even lots of criminals -- whose jerkiness and/or crimes never become big news stories. Sometimes when an event like this happens, some of us are left wondering: why does THIS one merit especially keen attention? Org-chart stuff gives us a clue. The Medill School of Journalism is part of Northwestern U., and the Medill Justice Project is part of THAT ...
