Re: Letters of Reccomendation -Reply

[csjhs@eiu.edu (Jeanne H. Simpson)]

Lynne, Kelly, et al

We need to be alert to the reality of unprofessional, unethical, just
plain questionable stuff that goes on with regard to letters of
recommendation in a very tight job market.   

If, just for the sake of example and not reflective of any case that I
have had personal knowledge of, I had an employee whom I had suspected of
harrassment and whom I had been unable to dismiss on those charges (making
them stick is difficult--as it should be), and that employee decided to
look elsewhere, what would I do?  I could write a vague but positive
recommendation about him, making no mention (which I couldn't without
risking slander charges) of the harrassment matter.   Then, if he is hired
elsewhere and gets nailed (or she--don't mean to make assumptions here)
for harrassment, what is my culpability?  I think the question is pretty
murky.  

I would be better off, perhaps, writing a letter affirming that employee X
worked here and performed such and such duties.  And leave out any
qualititative statements.  Would this then be damning with faint praise? 
Could be....   Thus the importance of making clear to a person exactly
what you believe you can and cannot say about them.  

Jeanne Simpson
csjhs@eiu.edu