WASHINGTON—Among those weighing in on allegations of sexual harassment during CUNA’s recent GAC is the trade association’s president, Jim Nussle.
As CUToday.info reported here, Rachel Pross of Maps Credit Union in Oregon posted an article on LinkedIn that alleged bad behavior by a number of men during the recent GAC in Washington.
In response, Nussle wrote a comment on the LinkedIin post, “There are individuals, mostly women, who have felt everything from generally uncomfortable to personally harassed at credit union conferences. We – individually and collectively – can’t accept this anymore. We can’t laugh off the awkward comments and we can’t ignore the disturbing actions. We have a problem if individuals within our movement feel targeted by thoughtless comments or actions,” and said that it cannot be ignored, tolerated or accepted by anyone.
‘Treat Everyone With Dignity and Respect’
“The solution should be easy: treat everyone with dignity and respect. It’s so simple and obvious. If only it was that easy in practice,” Nussle continued. “So, what can be done right now? I’m going to lead by example and ask others to hold me accountable. And I’m asking you to do the same. It’s not acceptable that anyone in our movement walks away from a conference or meeting feeling disrespected, objectified or harassed.”
Nussle concluded by urging the credit union movement to remember that “we are better and should always strive to be better” and by doing so, create a culture that fully respects everyone’s unique perspectives and talents.
“It’s a basic principle at the “heart” of our credit union movement; one that will make us unstoppable,” he said.