Dismissal May Spur New Exec Romance Rules
By Chris Gaither and Lisa Girion
Times Staff Writers
March 8, 2005

The forced resignation of Boeing Co. Chief Executive Harry C. Stonecipher over an extramarital affair with an employee may signal an end to corporate America's willingness to ignore the sexual indiscretions of its leaders.

But few experts in workplace law expect Boeing's move to unleash a rash of firings at other companies. Instead, they said Monday, Stonecipher's ouster probably will prompt boards to institute or redefine their rules for romantic relationships, possibly by requiring that executives disclose romances they're having with subordinates.[P6: Oh, yeah, that'll work...] "If CEOs were knocked out for extramarital affairs, we'd have a major employment opportunity in the United States," said Ellen Bravo, who conducts sexual harassment training for Milwaukee-based 9to5, National Assn. of Working Women. "There would be a lot of openings."