My reaction to Jeff Jacoby’s “Working for BU’s ‘silver unicorn’ ” (Op-ed, Sept. 28) was visceral. Jacoby describes scenario after scenario in which Boston University president John Silber was abusive to him and others. Jacoby indicates that the late Silber’s aggressive style and his intellect served BU well. He describes Silber as “abrasive, blunt, volatile, and aggressive” and “in a temper five days a week.” Jacoby says his colleagues felt “put in [their] place.” These are words victims of abusive relationships use.
Today’s work environments have policies to protect workers from hostile work situations. Psychologists have examined the psychic damage to victims.
Comments
Wuss.
This is one of the many things wrong with people today, when did people become so gosh darned sensitive?
Silber was a bully. As smart as he was, his relationship with employees was that of a bully. This is not about being a "wuss" or being too sensitive, it is about a man who dealt with employees as if they were so inferior to him that they needed to be beaten verbally in order to make them productive. In an earlier era people of this sort would whip employees or beat them with a stick. Personally I think Silber would have done that had the law allowed it.