I agree in part with your conclusion that her boss shouldn't necessarily have been fired, but a lot is missing from the story. Maybe he had other defects and this was just the latest; maybe he became dismissive or combative with HR and things escalated. Barring those probabilities, they could have assigned him to soviet re-education or put him on probation. People of either sex who are that dumb in a professional workplace in 2025 are rarely able to pull up in time before letting their resentment overtake reason.
Workplaces are a pecking order. She was right not to accept being the "low man" on the totem pole because of sexual stereotyping.
“Workplaces are a pecking order.”
That is correct.
The problem is the double standards—particularly in large organizations.
As a practical matter women are not held to the same standards as men. Men are expected to do the dirty and messy jobs without complaint.
Minorities are not held to the same standards as whites (or Asians). Whites (or Asians) are expected to solve the complex and stressful problems without complaints.
If you even discuss those issues you are done.
“Workplaces are a pecking order.”
That is correct.
The problem is the double standards—particularly in large organizations.
As a practical matter women are not held to the same standards as men. Men are expected to do the dirty and messy jobs without complaint.
Minorities are not held to the same standards as whites (or Asians). Whites (or Asians) are expected to solve the complex and stressful problems without complaints.
If you even discuss those issues you are done.
“but a lot is missing from the story. Maybe he had other defects and this was just the latest; maybe he became dismissive or combative with HR and things escalated.”
That’s a couple of maybes and assuming there were other negative events is just that, assumptions. Maybe the woman had issues not written about. Maybe it’s fake news. Who knows?
I do not agree with your assertion that most people would regard that as an order. When she refused, what did he do? He wasn’t the one who went to HR to complain about her according to the article, she did, to complain about him. When I have a problem with someone I take care of it myself. Going to HR was premature. I do agree that he was definitely crude though, and a face to face apology in front of the rest of the department would have been enough to put him in his place, imho. Getting someone fired doesn’t just hurt the jerk, it hurts his whole family, unless your assumptions are correct and there were other negative circumstances, then I would agree to firing him.