Advocacy
Dr. John Clay Smith brought his legal expertise to the position that he was appointed to at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As head of the commission, he decided to take on sexual harassment cases. His advocacy was critical. During the 1980s, the period during which Smith was working at the EEOC, sexual harassment cases were often overlooked. Victims of sexual harassment were not taken seriously. Women were not encouraged to file complaints about sexual harassment or discrimination. As one opponent of the Federal equal rights amendment testifies, the complaints are unjust because “they allow unscrupulous persons to file mischievous claims” (The New York Times, 1981). Women’s complaints were not heard or dismissed under these circumstances. It was difficultto garner support or legal help for victims of sexual harassment and discrimination.
Smith took it upon himself to recognize the importance of advocating for others. He agreed that sexual discrimination and harassment were matters of injustice. In 1981, he told the New York Times that “sexual harassment in the workplace is not a figment of the imagination,” “it is a real thing” (The New York Times, 1981). Smith served as the commissioner of the federal agency at the time. His advocacy was impactful because he was in a position of power. He recognized the unfair power dynamics that were in place, as well as the data collected on workplace harassment by the United States Merit Systems Protection Board, and worked to reform Labor and Employment Law so that complaints were taken seriously.