tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post5648757625669563143..comments2024-03-27T13:28:18.163-04:00Comments on Balter's Blog: Another harasser bites the dust. Please don't pass him. [Updated Sept 24 2020: The New York Times weighs in]Michael Balterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-24096929602197146102023-03-10T19:15:40.159-05:002023-03-10T19:15:40.159-05:00I've published this last comment just as an ex...I've published this last comment just as an example of the kind of absolute nonsense the backlash against the #MeToo movement is generating. This writer has absolutely no knowledge of the allegations concerning Siddall, and all they can do is reassure us he is a nice guy and loves his wife. To basically accuse the victims of lying without any evidence is just amazing.<br /><br />Again, an example of the kind of evidence-free, knowledge free thinking some who consider themselves scholars all too often engage in.Michael Balterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-477481103505394712023-03-10T12:04:52.345-05:002023-03-10T12:04:52.345-05:00I interacted scientifically with Mark Siddall 20 o...I interacted scientifically with Mark Siddall 20 or so years ago and attended a couple of conferences with him, etc. Never saw any of this negative stuff, and recall how he ended a telephone conversation at that time to his wife: "I love you very much." Maybe Mark doesn't have a halo shining brightly aboved his head (I don't know), but reading between the lines, some people here are using this debacle to do some back-stabbing, to whatever extent. I once heard a senior scientist in the U.S. (a dodgy character as far as I am concerned) pass unethical behavior (such as back-stabbing) off euphemistically as follows: "..... in a very competitive field." As if that is supposed to make it all okay. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-6391286097588237352021-07-15T18:59:36.832-04:002021-07-15T18:59:36.832-04:00Jyrki,
Balter will not post this.
But what you are...Jyrki,<br />Balter will not post this.<br />But what you are missing is that the anonymous claims of wife-beating, vivisection, and hard drugs are just as specious as all of the unsubstantiated other crap Balter posts himself anonymously on his own blog in order to drive traffic. He learned this in his communist agitprop days of the 60s.<br />He is not a reporter.<br />He's a troll fighting a defamation suit.<br />He used Mark's face illegally on his gofundme page.<br />If you want to do something, do something for Siddall who was falsely accused the instant he uncovered data fabrication by an underperforming student who changed her story later.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-69641225834046620962021-05-09T12:44:42.038-04:002021-05-09T12:44:42.038-04:00Well, now I understand well that these are listed ...Well, now I understand well that these are listed by "Anonymous". This contribution suggests that Siddall's faults included ("whatever they are") distribution of controlled substances and drinking at work, in addition to the previously suggested bullying and harassments AND that all these things were encouraged by the museum administration. He certainly had faults but to claim that the administration actively encouraged these should be backed by real evidence, not stories about some unspecified party.<br />Easy to see why this person does not want to sign his/her "testimony". Perhaps again the justification is "Justice has to wear a mask" - well, not in a democracy. Only intentional malice needs one in real life - life is not a movie for children.<br />I have personally only once and then shortly attended one of the Xmas parties. Strange how very normal it appeared. Perhaps that year the rave was not on.<br />Jyrki MuonaJyrki Muonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17379911391968524612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-64333857969504211422021-05-09T02:53:07.896-04:002021-05-09T02:53:07.896-04:00I can personally vouch for the fact that people us...I can personally vouch for the fact that people used to snort coke off of his desk at Christmas parties. And he had a fully functioning still in his office, like M*A*S*H*. He told me he learned that from Bruce Ranalla when they were grad students in Toronto. Ask Bruce if he had a still. Everyone, literally everyone would visit Siddall's office to booze-it-up: especially the "woke" people of the Center for Biodiversity and Conservation (ask about the "hat parties" they all got drunk at, there are plenty of drunken pics of half the people who have now tried to distance themselves from him) but also Vice President Novacek, Vice President Scheiner, and Vice President Guggenheim and wealthy donors besides. I saw the likes of Glenn Close, Adam Savage and Bob Shaye in his office drinking very heavily.<br />Whatever Siddall's faults were, they were actively encouraged by the museum administration as long as it drove donations from the wealthy Upper East Siders they had him cozying up to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-72480188043318816282021-01-27T11:37:11.668-05:002021-01-27T11:37:11.668-05:00Siddall interviewed for a job at my grad program i...Siddall interviewed for a job at my grad program in the late 90s. I'll never forget the faculty member who said in response, "We don't hire mean people here."<br /><br />I can personally vouch for the raucous, self-aggrandizing behavior of some of the museum's cladists described by those above. They were/are little people with big thirsts for booze and attention, who bullied continually. Not all curators by any means, of course, but a chosen few set a locker-room tone that was impossible to escape in certain parts of the museum. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-27396326955941851942020-12-29T10:31:48.140-05:002020-12-29T10:31:48.140-05:00Why has no one mentioned vivisection? How many ani...Why has no one mentioned vivisection? How many animals did he kill? I heard that he decapitated a snapping turtle and dispatched hundreds of fish for his graduate work. This man is a menace.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-23356618275196369092020-11-01T09:36:08.467-05:002020-11-01T09:36:08.467-05:00I would love to give more information, but I'm...I would love to give more information, but I'm not sure the ex-wife wants that information known. Btw, there's more than one ex-wife. Somebody should just ask him about it. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-26330297532118548302020-10-31T11:16:35.298-04:002020-10-31T11:16:35.298-04:00He broke an ex-wife's arm in an argument.He broke an ex-wife's arm in an argument.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-85573841372043018222020-10-02T21:39:38.434-04:002020-10-02T21:39:38.434-04:00It is naive to assume everyone has the luxury of n...It is naive to assume everyone has the luxury of not staying anonymous on the internet. There are many people out there who will retaliate against you if you so much as hint towards their bad behavior. Over the years, Mark Siddall retaliated against many of his students, post-docs, and colleagues. If you don't believe me go on twitter and see for yourself. The stories are popping up everyday and there are many who still will not speak up due to fear of retaliation.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-68356059479206103792020-10-01T02:47:49.746-04:002020-10-01T02:47:49.746-04:00This latest "piece of information" is a ...This latest "piece of information" is a great example of what kind of nonsense people write when they can use "anonymous" as their weapon. Indeed, most "evolutionary biologists".<br />This particular message is rubbish and has no content that would require anonymity. It is pitiful example of misuse of anonymity. Having no moderation invites this kind of rubbish.<br />"Mediocre scientists" - who measured, where and how? Please, tell us your name and we can evaluate YOU.<br /><br />Jyrki Muonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17379911391968524612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-60289239129793573112020-09-30T20:42:07.423-04:002020-09-30T20:42:07.423-04:00My heart goes out to those who suffered sexual and...My heart goes out to those who suffered sexual and other harassment at the hands of Siddall and others at the museum. <br /><br />I have to say that I’m experiencing schadenfreude over the news that Siddall has lost his job. He is a nasty piece of work. He may know his leeches, for all I know, but his other work is complete garbage. (See his 1997 paper with Kluge titled “Probabilism and Phylogenetic Inference” if you want a good laugh.) My impression is that the AMNH is one of the few places where he could have gotten a job. <br /><br />In fact, most evolutionary biologists look askance at the fervent adherents to the parsimony method, with its peculiar philosophical justification, that the AMNH harbors. The scientific culture there is quite strange. (Strange beyond the sexual harassment, I mean.) They have (or had) what they called “New York Rules” in the question and answer session after a talk. They feel free to be jerks in asking questions. Unfortunately, I believe that this type of scientific behavior has spilled over into the Hennig Society, which counts as members many AMNH scientists. <br /><br />The resources available at the AMNH are wonderful and it’s a shame that so much was wasted on Siddall, along with several other mediocre scientists there. With luck, the AMNH will be able to replace Siddall with a decent scientist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-29410141579881250802020-09-25T02:25:24.990-04:002020-09-25T02:25:24.990-04:00As Anonymous 24 225PM said, "Ellen Futter has...As Anonymous 24 225PM said, "Ellen Futter has been president of AMNH since 1993. Mike Novacek has been a curator since 1982 and Provost since 1994. Ann Siegel has been VP for Operations (which includes HR) since 2010 and was a senior administrator for at least a decade before that. All of the things that are being written about now, and which happened in the past, occurred on their watch. That's not libel - it's a statement of fact."<br /><br />Indeed, perhaps that is the key. Any institution needs turnover at the highest levels, to constantly refresh and improve a place such as a research institute. Almost no other universities or research institutions allow such lengthy terms for administrators, for good reason. Even if Futter and Gugenheim bring in money, the model they operate under is outdated, 1980s corporate sytle, and poorly imagined, with little initiative, except to boost themselves up with the board by doing the same thing over and over. Has anyone ever considered that Gugenheim, who runs Fundraising, Government relations and Education at AMNH, has a complete conflict of interest by the very nature of her job? You can't have the head of fundraising also running one of the mission goals, at the expense of others. No for-profit place would allow such a thing. No non-profit place should even even go near such a situation.<br /><br />By the way, I don't think that HR falls under operations. It is usually legal counsel, but I don't know for AMNH. I have nothing to do with it, but I do love that institution. It's a crown jewel of NYC, and even the country.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-7707727269349962652020-09-24T19:23:01.599-04:002020-09-24T19:23:01.599-04:00Ah, Jyrki.... sometimes justice must wear a mask. ...Ah, Jyrki.... sometimes justice must wear a mask. <br /><br />So long, everyoneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-56666996668298522962020-09-24T17:22:24.645-04:002020-09-24T17:22:24.645-04:00Indeed, and as you do not disclose anything about ...Indeed, and as you do not disclose anything about museum matters in your recent comment, what else than cowardice can this reflect, "anonymous"?<br />Jyrki Muonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17379911391968524612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-79007730395832137042020-09-24T16:11:12.097-04:002020-09-24T16:11:12.097-04:00"First, I find it cowardly not to sign ones c..."First, I find it cowardly not to sign ones comments."<br /><br />AMNH's terms of employment make unauthorized disclosure of matters relating to the operations of the museum a disciplinary offense. Commenting publicly on this blog could, in theory at least, open current staff up to action by the museum. I suspect this, rather than cowardice, is the reason many people are choosing to remain anonymous.<br /><br />BTW, this restriction does not apply to tenured curators.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-45157355847678406832020-09-24T15:24:21.004-04:002020-09-24T15:24:21.004-04:00Having known so many of these people for a long ti...Having known so many of these people for a long time and visited the institution for more than 20 years I would like to say a few words about these anonymous comments. First, I find it cowardly not to sign ones comments. It is awfully easy to shoot from the dark. I know many of the "rock-star" curators and I believe it is very unfair to suggest they are bullies and whatever without exact acts and names to back it up. No one has the right to accuse groups on the basis of single guilty parties. I would think this is self-evident in these BLM times. Sexual harassment is another matter and should always be acted upon and fast. I would not be surprised if the AMNH has the same problem as many other institutions - there is no systematic way to monitor this. Acting on official complaints only is nor a very good strategy. In this respect the administration is the one that failed.<br />Jyrki Muonahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17379911391968524612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-73491773213621889952020-09-24T14:25:26.948-04:002020-09-24T14:25:26.948-04:00"It is also completely untrue that if you are..."It is also completely untrue that if you are a tenured curator there (even those who have been there for many years) that you can just strut around and treat people badly." - oh come off it, Anonymous Sept 24. If you work at AMNH, you <b>know</b> that's not true. What <b>is</b> true is that many people end up deciding, for their own career security, that it's better not to make a fuss, knowing that their complaints will not be taken seriously.<br /><br />"But to impugn everyone at the senior levels on the science side of the institution is just outright libel and promoting disinformation." Ellen Futter has been president of AMNH since 1993. Mike Novacek has been a curator since 1982 and Provost since 1994. Ann Siegel has been VP for Operations (which includes HR) since 2010 and was a senior administrator for at least a decade before that. All of the things that are being written about now, and which happened in the past, occurred on their watch. That's not libel - it's a statement of fact.<br /><br />Obviously there are many good and decent people at AMNH. Obviously many people (including me, BTW) find working there to be one of the most rewarding experiences of their life. But the "few bad apples" explanation is as inadequate here as it is for, say, discussing entrenched problems in the police. At some point, you have to take a step back and look at the wider institutional failings. For many of us that worked, or continue to work there, that fact is blindingly obvious.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-36227325727331017002020-09-24T00:01:06.454-04:002020-09-24T00:01:06.454-04:00It is quite clear that a number of the comments he...It is quite clear that a number of the comments here are written by people who are not at AMNH. The joint student program was never dismantled. That is just false information. If anything it was strengthened with the AMNH PhD program. It is also completely untrue that if you are a tenured curator there (even those who have been there for many years) that you can just strut around and treat people badly. This depiction of one of the older and most public scientific research institutions in the US is just patently false. There isn't rampant abuse of everyone all over the place, and all faculty are not evil sociopaths. That's just ridiculous. Many people do care and are very concerned, including among the tenured and non-tenured senior scientific staff. And many people have fantastic experiences as students, postdocs and junior faculty, with many going on to some of the most spectacular careers with deep fondness for the institution and their mentors. Certainly there are some problems, but perhaps as Anonymous said "They really need to clean house." Well perhaps that is exactly what they are doing? But to impugn everyone at the senior levels on the science side of the institution is just outright libel and promoting disinformation. In fact a number of the administrative and Education staff are also tremendous bullies or irresponsible, but the majority of the museum's 1000+ some-odd employees are really good and decent people who have dedicated their lives to science, the teaching of it, and the production of new knowledge, from the guards and custodial staff, to the teachers, exhibition designers and research staff. A sense of balance is needed here in this discussion. Not blanket anger and cancellation of an entire, complex and multifaceted institution. There are a lot of good people at AMNH too. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-46249537325959212752020-09-23T18:45:08.591-04:002020-09-23T18:45:08.591-04:00AMNH has been a hot mess for years; back in the 90...AMNH has been a hot mess for years; back in the 90s and 00s they developed a culture of "bad boy" curators who saw themselves as iconoclastic scientific rebels; really they were just nerds who were suddenly told they were rock stars. It was pretty routine for curators, staff, and students to hit the bars on Amsterdam Ave. and get roaring drunk together. All sorts of bad stuff ensued. The Administration treated Science like an unruly autonomous zone that was allowed to police itself. Bullying and unprofessional behavior was rife. Siddall was of that generation.<br /><br />I'll share a story of AMNH HR from back in those good old days, 10-15 years ago. A colleague of mine went to file a report about a notoriously nasty curator. The report concerned behavior observed towards a third party, so of course the HR deputy director told her that was hearsay and he wasn't going to do anything. But she stood her ground. The deputy director pulled out a bulging file and showed it to her. "This is that guy's file," he said. "Now, do you still want to file a report?" The clear implication was that nothing would happen, other than putting her at risk of retaliation. It was widely believed that HR would routinely pass information about complaints to the curators concerned. She did not file the report, so of course it never happened.<br /><br />I would love to tell you that things have changed at AMNH since then, but from what I hear there is still bullying and still abuse. If you're a tenured curator, especially one of long-standing, you can pretty much treat your staff however you want. They really need to clean house.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-39272631181957541402020-09-13T18:42:41.557-04:002020-09-13T18:42:41.557-04:00When the AMNH dismantled its joint student program...When the AMNH dismantled its joint student program with various universities (Cornell, Yale, NYU, Columbia, Hunter College, CUNY, etc.) to establish its own "university" and award degrees, this had to be approved the State of NY (Albany). Thus, governor Cuomo, Mayor de Blasio, and other representatives need to be made aware of their management and accreditation of their program.<br />Who is the external reviewer of this education program? <br />What student support services were established with the school and how many complaints have they received over the years?<br />After these shameful sordid episodes with multiple curators, AMNH's education program should be dismantled. AMNH is unable to self-police a small institute of ~40 curator-professors.<br />(But see how fast they fire a cleaner or painter who looks at a female worker walking by.)<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-16702553504845408082020-09-12T15:34:49.374-04:002020-09-12T15:34:49.374-04:00Re the last comment: Yes, this is clear from my re...Re the last comment: Yes, this is clear from my reporting so far. HR (and those higher up) knew about and tolerated Siddall's sexual misconduct, severe bullying, retaliation, and constant drunkenness for a decade or longer. The Brian Richmond case really changed nothing at the museum, only in anthropology more broadly (and even there I have had to continue to report new cases where nothing was done until there was public exposure.) Let's get it all out there.Michael Balterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-31859993836030907132020-09-12T13:41:29.476-04:002020-09-12T13:41:29.476-04:00This incident was quietly outed because they had n...This incident was quietly outed because they had no choice. This news needs larger traction in the media. But there is vitriol in other academic/cultural spaces that no one calls out because the suspect threatens and bullies victims, and people buy into it, or are in fear of their future that they go along with it because let's admit it, there's a lot of nepotism in hiring practices. Upper management don't see it because the suspect is "one of them", and those of a lower title are deemed not worth listening to. I'm a victim, I've seen other victims get bullied out when they don't go with the program. HR is only there to protect the interest of the employer, they don't care about the employee. That's why so many don't go to HR, why bother. Don't need that blemish following your career, as unfair as it is.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-65442423696214190272020-09-10T18:20:25.485-04:002020-09-10T18:20:25.485-04:00Just found this on twitter:
"Years ago, a mu...Just found this on twitter:<br /><br />"Years ago, a museum curator wrote me a long, vitriolic email after I gave his exhibition a mixed review. I felt so scared, sure I’d done something very wrong. Now I learn he’s been fired for violating their harassment policy and duh, of course, the problem there hadn’t been me."<br /><br />Posted by https://twitter.com/jaimealyse based in New YorkAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3423725371920868922.post-73493329591488963232020-09-10T15:26:13.176-04:002020-09-10T15:26:13.176-04:00Re the last comment: No, not by a long shot. Let t...Re the last comment: No, not by a long shot. Let the others be warned.<br /><br />Many survivors of his abuse are speaking out, everyone needs to hear them.Michael Balterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08311614050647338141noreply@blogger.com