Accusing CT of airing his “dirty laundry,” Galli wrote, “The problem is this: In recent years, I was never given the opportunity to [seek reconciliation with the concerned party] when matters were handled through HR.”
“I am concerned that those whom I have inadvertently offended or confused remain on the other side of this huge chasm of anonymity,” Galli went on to write, criticizing the idea of anonymous HR reporting protocols for sexual harassment. “I repeat what I said in the [CT news] article: I welcome the opportunity to bridge that divide in person, with a third party, of course.”
“I’m not sure how else to bring healing in such situations. It does seem that this is something we are called to do as followers of Jesus,” Galli wrote to conclude his article. “And as this article clearly demonstrates, without such opportunities for frank conversations, apologies, and reconciliation, misunderstanding, confusion, and hurt can fester for years.”
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“Thank you for the master class in how to use scripture to gaslight victims of sexual harassment,” someone commented on Galli’s article. Another said, “The sheer number of [complaints] and supporting eye witnesses detailed in the story make it difficult to brush off these allegations as ‘misunderstandings’ or ‘everybody is lying except me.'”
Some responded with support toward Galli, with one saying, “Your comments are spot on about the rigidity of HR in even Christian organizations. There is a better way.”
On the other hand, someone asked, “Hi Mark, when it was made clear to you that your actions and comments were inadvertently making people uncomfortable in the workplace and causing them to go to HR, why didn’t you resolve to stop saying/doing things that might have led to people feeling uncomfortable in the workplace?”
Galli responded by affirming the legitimacy of the question but saying that the “problem was the ‘rules’ of what was considered acceptable behavior changed rapidly over the last few years.”
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This article has been updated to include Mark Galli’s comment.
