Request for transporting female probationers in light of ‘touchy-feely stuff’ wrongheaded

At first, it sounds like the makings of a solution in search of a problem.
At second glance, it reeks of sexism and a bygone era. Today men and women work alongside one another.
Recently, Preston County’s litter control officer expressed reservations about working with female probationers doing community service.
Instead, he requested that the county’s Solid Waste Authority assign a female utility officer in the sheriff’s department to drive them to their work site.
As he put it, “Nothing against women, but I’d rather not have them (three females from probation) with all this touchy-feely stuff.”
We’re not sure what “touchy-feely stuff” he’s talking about, but suspect it’s the backlash to thousands of accusations of rape, abuse and trauma in light of the #MeToo movement.
Or perhaps it’s the two sides of the same coin propagated by a president who brags about grabbing women (fill in blank) and a vice president who won’t have dinner with them alone. Both sides reflecting the essentially unequal world women work and live in.
So are all men damned if they do and damned if they don’t? No. Women simply want to be treated as workplace equals. They don’t want to be sexually harassed.
If this strikes anyone as unfair, unclear or vindictive maybe they don’t belong in the workplace, at all.
As for fears of false claims of harassment, they are rare and virtually impossible to prove as are even the commonplace valid allegations of harassment.
Men need not worry about being led into temptation, either. After all, it is entirely within their control whether to harass a subordinate or have an affair.
According to the chief of the judicial circuit’s probation office overseeing Preston, she didn’t realize it mattered if the help that was requested came from men or women.
It doesn’t. Sending people to such jobs who are willing to complete community service hours to fulfill their debt to society is what matters.
There is no need for isolating men from women at work out of fear of false charges of harassment.
Protecting county employees and the county itself from allegations or liability may be a consideration. But, policies already on the books should provide for such contingencies.
True, there may be reasons why one employee does not work well with another. But not being able to work with someone because of their gender cannot legally be one.
Employees and employers must be mature and professional enough to do the job or not be doing it.
Suggesting you are behaving honorably by being unable to work with half of the labor force is a problem.
And not one of any woman’s making or one they are obligated to solve.