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Will misconduct scandals make men wary of women at work?

NEW YORK (AP) – Some men see a simple strategy for stemming sexual misconduct at work: Just avoid one-on-one interactions with women.

The idea has gained new currency after an avalanche of allegations against influential men in entertainment, media and politics this fall.

But some women, and men, worry that the same climate that’s emboldening women to speak up about misconduct could backfire by making some men wary of female colleagues.

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg recently wrote that she hoped the outcry over misconduct doesn’t “have the unintended consequence of holding women back.”

To be sure, plenty of people limit contact with the opposite sex. Vice President Mike Pence has long said he doesn’t have one-on-one meals with any woman except his wife, as part of prioritizing his marriage.