My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “Can a Professor Pay for a Student’s Counseling?”. I’m a professor at a state university. A few years ago, I had a situation with a student that still troubles me. I asked the young woman to see me in my office to discuss her absences from class and[…] Keep reading →

My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “Why Does a Creepy Co-Worker Keep Getting a Pass?”. I’ve been at my job for about a year. The company I work for has grown recently, so there are many new staff members, a majority of whom are young women in their mid-20s, like me. One of my[…] Keep reading →

My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “Should I Tell My Hosts About My Medical Marijuana?”. I have developed a non-life-threatening medical condition that is incurable and has only limited conventional therapy. Symptoms appear at night with torturous pain. The physician-prescribed remedies are not working well. After reviewing online articles and discussion with one physician,[…] Keep reading →

My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “Should I Go to a College I’ve Been Admitted to as a Legacy?”. I am currently a senior in high school and am lucky enough to have been admitted to a prestigious private university. I’m strongly considering attending this school because of its excellent academics and the other[…] Keep reading →

My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “Can I Make My Company Take a Stand on Guns?”. I live in Europe and work for a company based in the United States. I’m increasingly uncomfortable with the rate of gun violence and mass shootings in the United States, and I would like my company to take[…] Keep reading →

My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “How Can I Make My Colleague Stop Stealing?”. I work at a small college and have a tenured colleague who routinely misuses college funds. He charges the department for expenses that are clearly personal. I’ve heard he buys his kids’ school supplies through the office Staples account, bought[…] Keep reading →

My series answering the New York Times’ Ethicist column with an active, leadership approach instead of an analytical, philosophical perspective continues with “What if Our Son’s Birth Mother Wants a Relationship With Him — but Not Us?”. We adopted our son about 25 years ago, when “open adoptions” were still a novel idea. We were fortunate enough to meet and spend time with our son’s birth parents and be present[…] Keep reading →