Tell that to Neil Degrass Tyson! Would you ever consider him an asshole? And yet, here he is getting lambasted for pointing out a tattoo on a woman's arm and telling people he doesn't do hugs.
You literally can be the nicest man in the world and still get #MeToo'd
I thought he was being accused of physically touching a clothed area of the woman's arm without being granted consent, not merely "pointing out". The words "pointing out" imply a gesture, which can be done at a distance, not unwelcome physical contact.
Is this really an offense worth ending someone's career over?
(And is it any surprise that we might all deduce the lesson if it is?)
In isolation? No. It's a social faux pas that should be responded to with apology and remediation. Nobody is perfect, after all.
As one incident in an overall pattern of abuse stretching one's career? Different matter. If this pattern holds, the accused doesn't need to be propped up as a role model for science communication.
If he did in fact physically touch her, then this isn't an ambiguous "he said/she said" problem, this is a violation of her personal boundaries.
https://www.patheos.com/blogs/nosacredcows/2018/11/two-more-...