Sexism at City Hall

In commenting on the alleged sexism on the Los Angeles City Council, Warren Farrell (Platform, “Public Sector Sexism,” July 7) rushes to defend white males and falls into a common trap. He attacks women for “defining as harassment something that men have defined historically as hazing and did to all people who entered the workplace as part of the initiation.”

Wrong. Hazing is giving new employees a hard time by, for example, pointing out their ineptness in a sarcastic manner. (“I guess you haven’t worked since they invented computers, have you?” or “That forklift does have a reverse gear, y’know.”) Harassment focuses on gender, race, ethnicity. (“I guess they don’t have computers in Mexico, do they?” or “Typical woman driver--can’t even find reverse gear on the forklift!”)

Hazing, while sometimes cruel, is both legal and an equal opportunity offender--white males get hazed just like anyone. Unlike harassment, it does not include references to someone’s gender, race or ethnicity. NELLE ENGORON Laguna Hills

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“Public Sector Sexism” shows why we must not only support current affirmative action policies but increase them. Paula Petrotta, Sharon K. Papa, and Laura Chick have achieved sufficient position that they are comfortable in speaking out against injustice. But clearly “Mary” and “Anna,” who are not willing to give their names, [and who can blame them] know how retribution rears its ugly head. JACQUELINE A. MELVIN Vice president, California Federation of Business and Professional Women