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Risky business

When one of the state's most respected law firms stumbles, people notice. When the stumble involves mishandling internal charges of sexual harassment aimed at one of its top lawyers, Holland & Knight's progressive public image loses a bit of its polish.

St. Petersburg Times staff writers Kris Hundley and Scott Barancik reported this week that Douglas A. Wright was accused by nine female lawyers of harassment. The women claimed he asked about their sex lives, commented on their dress and continually asked about personal issues. Wright denied the allegations, but an internal committee found the complaints were credible, concluded he violated the firm's sexual harassment policy and recommended discipline that included restricting his responsibilities. All of those recommendations weren't followed. Six months after he was privately reprimanded, Wright was promoted to be the firm's chief operating officer. That is not the sequence of events one would normally expect.

After two days of news stories, Wright wisely gave up the promotion Wednesday but will remain a partner with the firm. That's a good indication that he and the law firm finally grasped the seriousness of the situation, but only after it became public.

There is no justification for harassment in the workplace, and verbal abuse that once may have been tolerated by management and silently endured by subordinates is no longer acceptable. Holland & Knight appears to have been tone deaf in this case, which is peculiar given its fine reputation. Despite its strong stance against sexual harassment and its aggressive efforts to hire and promote women, the firm puts its reputation at risk when its private actions are at odds with its public policies.

[Last modified March 31, 2005, 01:27:20]