A senior White House science adviser resigned Monday after allegations of workplace harassment. President Joe Biden promised at the beginning of his term that he would not tolerate such behavior.
“I am devastated that I have hurt former and current colleagues by the way I have spoken to them,” Eric Lander, director of the bureau for science and technology policy, wrote in his letter. “I tried to encourage myself and my colleagues to achieve common goals, sometimes by asking critical questions and criticizing people,” he said. Lander admitted that he had gone “too far” in that regard.
Eric Lander’s efforts included Joe Biden’s recently launched initiative to reduce cancer deaths by at least half over the next 25 years. The day after his inauguration, the Democratic president warned his staff that he would not tolerate any slippage. “I mean it when I say that if you work with me and I hear you treat a colleague with disrespect or contempt, I will fire you on the spot,” the then-new president said.
Lander isn’t the only one on Joe Biden’s team who has to pack his bags. Earlier, a spokesperson had to resign after he threatened a journalist and made sexist remarks against her during a telephone conversation.
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