Jack Lessenberry Facing Multiple Sexual Harassment Allegations Quits MetroTimes

[Lowell]

Well-known local journalist and former head of WSU journalism department is facing a flurry of female sexual harassment and misconduct claims and exposure of a past job dismissal for the same.

A lengthy article published by Deadline Detroit details a long history of such claims, enough that he had acquired the nicknames Letchenberry and Pervenberry by WSU students.

Lessenberry has denied the charges but the number of claims detailed by the reporters is disturbing.

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic...ior_with_women

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/ne...ions/35034303/

[Wesley Mouch]

We must always believe the victim, so he must be guilty!

And its so much easier today to be guilty, since the standards for harassment are so broad as to encompass anything and everything. Oh, and 'misconduct'? Is that a broad enough term to convict everyone accused?

I hope justice finds a way to prevail against the headwinds of our toxic 'me too' culture.

[EastsideAl]

"toxic 'me too' culture"

Only a man would say some idiotic crap like that. Others might say that it's about damn time that someone listened to someone who wasn't a man.

[detroitsgwenivere]

^^I will say this... I've heard rumors from both men and women in the area about Lessenberry's behavior for many years now, so none of this surprises me. Not saying he's harassed both men and women, more that men also claim to have been present when some of this behavior had occurred. Whether any of them actually come forward will be another story.

[EGrant]

If this was another publication, the Metro Times would write some scathing article about how horrible everyone even remotely adjacent to the story is...

[Johnnny5]

I honestly won't miss him on NPR [[Assuming Michigan Radio lets him go), but most of the accusations brought against him in the article appear to be rather weak. Compliments about appearance or quasi attempts at flirting that were rebuffed and then went nowhere. If that's the new definition of sexual harassment then every single, mediocre looking guy with little game is in for a life of solitude, constant lawsuits or jail time.

[archfan]

We must always believe the victim, so he must be guilty!
...

Multiple victims over many years, according to the article, and at least two complaints to University officials. Maybe none of them rise to the level of criminal behavior, but it's certainly enough for a business/school to decide they don't want to employ a creep, no matter how good a journalist he is.

[CassTechGrad]

In addition to being a closed-minded hateful bigot, we see that he is also a hypocrite. He should have been fired long ago. Get out and don’t come back.

[Wesley Mouch]

Multiple victims over many years, according to the article, and at least two complaints to University officials. Maybe none of them rise to the level of criminal behavior, but it's certainly enough for a business/school to decide they don't want to employ a creep, no matter how good a journalist he is.

Just how many allegations does it take to make someone a creep?

The first line about this in Deadline Detroit... their thesis sentence if you will is:

Deadline Detroit has chronicled a half-dozen allegations from women who say he acted inappropriately, made inappropriate remarks or repeatedly showed unwanted attention

Allegations of inappropriate actions, remarks, and repeated unwanted attention. Allegations.

At this point, I'll take Lessenberry at his word, because it is the civilized response. Because accusations are often not accurate. Because I believe we are better people when we presume innocence, than when we destroy reputations.

[[My 2020 election prediction is that the Democratic Party will eat their young, leaving Trump to a 2nd term. Cory Booker will be accused of all kinds of harassment. He'll be easy sport. More interesting will be how Kamala Harris will be taken down, but taken down by her own she will be.)

[Hypestyles]

Curious. I had him as a professor for a media class, 2001, during the 9/11 tragedy. One evening he brought in Milo Ridulovich, a Dearborn resident who got targeted by the communist-chasing of Joe McCarthy in the 1950s. The local & national backdrop of Arab fearmongering was the context. I got a good grade out of the class; I never got to know Mr. Lessenberry personally, and I have no frame of reference for any of the allegations. I guess we'll have to see how this narrative evolves.

[Colombian Dan]

Just how many allegations does it take to make someone a creep?

The first line about this in Deadline Detroit... their thesis sentence if you will is:

Allegations of inappropriate actions, remarks, and repeated unwanted attention. Allegations.

At this point, I'll take Lessenberry at his word, because it is the civilized response. Because accusations are often not accurate. Because I believe we are better people when we presume innocence, than when we destroy reputations.

[[My 2020 election prediction is that the Democratic Party will eat their young, leaving Trump to a 2nd term. Cory Booker will be accused of all kinds of harassment. He'll be easy sport. More interesting will be how Kamala Harris will be taken down, but taken down by her own she will be.)

Kamala will be easy.....

[bust]

We must always believe the victim, so he must be guilty!

And its so much easier today to be guilty, since the standards for harassment are so broad as to encompass anything and everything. Oh, and 'misconduct'? Is that a broad enough term to convict everyone accused?

I hope justice finds a way to prevail against the headwinds of our toxic 'me too' culture.

I really hope you guys continue to make this your argument through the upcoming election, and beyond.

[Pat001]

I'm no fan of Lessenberry but he's entitled to due process.

[Bigb23]

[[My 2020 election prediction is that the Democratic Party will eat their young, leaving Trump to a 2nd term. Cory Booker will be accused of all kinds of harassment. He'll be easy sport. More interesting will be how Kamala Harris will be taken down, but taken down by her own she will be.)

Good god, I hope you're not a clairvoyant. 3000 public splash lies a year is enough.

[Atticus]

Another article by the “failing” Detnews/Freep implying guilt because someone was accused. And Lessenberry very may well be guilty, but it should be innocent until proven so. Due Process is thankfully there for a reason.

Look, if this guy is guilty for what he is accused of, he should face the consequences. But right now the local media just continues to run articles implying guilt based only on accusations, to get clicks for ad revenue. There is a name for that type of media... tabloids. But god forbid we criticize the self proclaimed “watchdogs of democracy”.

And yet the liberals will continue to bash anyone who criticizes the media [[Trump or otherwise). Criticizing the media EVER is taboo for most liberals, even when the media sensationalises. And then the liberals are baffled why Trump being critical of the media is appealing to some.

[Zacha341]

^^^ Yes, we see how liberalism has changed over the decades. Sigh.......

[Honky Tonk]

Another article by the “failing” Detnews/Freep implying guilt because someone was accused. And Lessenberry very may well be guilty, but it should be innocent until proven so. Due Process is thankfully there for a reason.

Look, if this guy is guilty for what he is accused of, he should face the consequences. But right now the local media just continues to run articles implying guilt based only on accusations, to get clicks for ad revenue. There is a name for that type of media... tabloids. But god forbid we criticize the self proclaimed “watchdogs of democracy”.

And yet the liberals will continue to bash anyone who criticizes the media [[Trump or otherwise). Criticizing the media EVER is taboo for most liberals, even when the media sensationalises. And then the liberals are baffled why Trump being critical of the media is appealing to some.

Good post all the way around. I'm old enough to remember when National Enquirer reporting was the exception and not the norm. As far as Lessenberry goes, so far he liked what she did with her hair and misinterpreted her signals thinking she was interested in a movie and some wine. When something concrete surfaces, I'll be the first one to pull the guillotine rope.

[mwilbert]

Just how many allegations does it take to make someone a creep?

The first line about this in Deadline Detroit... their thesis sentence if you will is:

Allegations of inappropriate actions, remarks, and repeated unwanted attention. Allegations.

At this point, I'll take Lessenberry at his word, because it is the civilized response. Because accusations are often not accurate. Because I believe we are better people when we presume innocence, than when we destroy reputations.

As you undoubtedly know, presumption of innocence is the rule in a court of law, but needn't be, and often isn't, in the court of public opinion, nor in the the eyes of an employer. I don't claim to know what happened here, but it would be odd for numerous women to come forward with complaints without any basis. Why? Not impossible, but implausible.

[[My 2020 election prediction is that the Democratic Party will eat their young, leaving Trump to a 2nd term. Cory Booker will be accused of all kinds of harassment. He'll be easy sport. More interesting will be how Kamala Harris will be taken down, but taken down by her own she will be.)

They may well be taken down by their own, as that is how party primaries work, but probably not because of claims of harassment. Booker's big vulnerability is probably his connection to Wall Street, and Harris' is probably her connection to the criminal justice system. And I'm really not sure whether people are going to think being black is a positive or a negative in facing Trump. But that's now; two years is an eternity in this political environment.

[Wesley Mouch]

As you undoubtedly know, presumption of innocence is the rule in a court of law, but needn't be, and often isn't, in the court of public opinion, nor in the the eyes of an employer. I don't claim to know what happened here, but it would be odd for numerous women to come forward with complaints without any basis. Why? Not impossible, but implausible.

The court of public opinion is just noise.

Employers can fire who they want whenever they want [[at least in my world, where the government stays out of things). My point is that a wise employer doesn't bow to the court of public opinion. If they do, you get Google / Danmore, where diversity of opinion at Google was killed.

Since the 'court of public opinion' default position to 'believe' all accusers, it is only natural that more false accusations will erupt -- as human beings see that accusations take down those with whom they disagree. See Duke Lacrosse Team False Rape Accusations for an example of how these things steamroll.

[jerrytimes]

While it is unfortunate that he did this to people, it has removed him from the privilege of publishing his hateful fictional garbage every week. At least there is a positive coming from this.

[CassTechGrad]

I'm no fan of Lessenberry but he's entitled to due process.

“Entitled to due process”, “presumption of innocence”, “accusations are often not accurate”, “innocent until proven guilty”: Ask Jack if he and his left wing friends ever extended any of these to the Duke Lacrosse Team or apologized after they were found innocent. Over the years Jack has used his position of power to try to destroy anyone who is different then him: no tolerance, acceptance, inclusion, and diversity allowed for the “basket of deplorables”. Jack Lessenberry and John Conyers have a lot in common.

[Wesley Mouch]

“Entitled to due process”, “presumption of innocence”, “accusations are often not accurate”, “innocent until proven guilty”: Ask Jack if he and his left wing friends ever extended any of these to the Duke Lacrosse Team or apologized after they were found innocent. Over the years Jack has used his position of power to try to destroy anyone who is different then him: no tolerance, acceptance, inclusion, and diversity allowed for the “basket of deplorables”. Jack Lessenberry and John Conyers have a lot in common.

I think we are at our best when we extend our protections even to those who aren't nice. Lessenberry should have been more open to diverse ideas in his past. Maybe this experience will let him see that having a closed mind is a bad thing.

[aj3647]

I honestly won't miss him on NPR [[Assuming Michigan Radio lets him go), but most of the accusations brought against him in the article appear to be rather weak. Compliments about appearance or quasi attempts at flirting that were rebuffed and then went nowhere. If that's the new definition of sexual harassment then every single, mediocre looking guy with little game is in for a life of solitude, constant lawsuits or jail time.

So you're just going to selectively skip over the allegations that [[if true) are objectively over the line? The Deadline Detroit article did a fair job of distinguishing between behavior that was simply questionable or made people uncomfortable to allegations that would no doubt fall under the category of "sexual harassment" if placed before a judge.

Examples that you seemed to have conveniently skipped over:
-Arriving unannounced at the home of a female employee and kissing her in her doorway, to the point that she had to physically push him off of her.
-As a journalism professor at Wayne State, commenting on the size of a female student's breasts.
-Again, as a journalism professor, grabbing a female student's thigh and telling her that some students will "do anything for a good grade."


As for your comment: "then every single, mediocre looking guy with little game is in for a life of solitude, constant lawsuits or jail time", if you're a 60-something college instructor, MAYBE it's not a GREAT idea to eye your 18-year old female undergraduate students as potential dating partners? Also, Lessenberry isn't single, he was married up until 2009 and has since been in a long-term relationship with a woman that he lives with. Careful you don't break your back bending over backwards to make excuses for this guy.

[aj3647]

Lessenberry's Rate My Professor page for the classes he teaches at Wayne State. LOTS of comments from students about how he is pervy and creepy towards the female students. Keep in mind, all of the comments long pre-date this current story and the Me Too movement, most of these date back to 2010 or before.

http://www.ratemyprofessors.com/Show...jsp?tid=195953

If he ever wrote an article about sexual harassment and asymmetrical power relationships, I'd love to read it. They say your writing is best when you know the material first hand.

He is a ****ous creep who thinks very highly of himself and very little of the unattractive girls and males in his classes.

The guy is very professional and knows a lot about the field. That being said, he is very arrogant and seems to flirt with the pretty girls.

he visits my roommates work and has kissed her without her permission on the cheek- shes 21 he's- old. shes not a wsu student but i am- i'm not a journalism major but he's "invited me to his office" on the surface it seems like he cares buti know better if you know what i mean. btw i'm female

I took this class as a requirement and was disgusted with the. I was a female student, so I felt quite uncomfortable. He makes comments about certain girl's attractiveness quite often. He is the internship conductor, but because of him I decided not to major in journalism. If you do, stay away.

This man is extremely rude and arrogant. His class is very uneducating and he spends more time talking about how great he is rather than principles of journalism. Besides being mean, he is extremely gender bias, so a pretty female student should do well.

he literally sleeps through class ... when he's not leering at the girls. a very uncomfortable experience. the university needs to take action.

abrasive, nasty, borderline harassment when it comes to the women in the class. I got an A but I would not reccommend.

Intensity. Integrity. Intelligence. The three I's. Jack has none of them. I have tried avoiding his classes for years, but my unassigned prof turned out to be him. I do not have a uterus, so he doesn't like me.

This guy is a joke. Not only do students complain about his unprofessional conduct, other professors do as well. That says something. He doesn't prepare you for the newsroom because being in a newsroom doesn't involve the ****, **** and harassing comments he makes during class. Borderline harassment goes unaddressed by the department.

Survey Course, Intro to Journalism. All comments about his inappropriate conduct, sexism and harrassment are true. I should know, firsthand. Stay away!! [[Pretty) girls, beware.

[Eastside...]

This "Wesley Mooch" writes like he was Lessenberry's wing man