Joe, here’s my question. Your daughter/sister/wife tells you she was sexually harassed by a close male friend and professional colleague of both of yours when they happened to be alone. You have no reason to suspect his character, and you’ve never been aware of such behavior on his part. You basically trust your daughter/sister/wife. You talk to your friend, whom you also basically trust, and he adamantly denies it. Your daughter/sister/wife tells you that he was lying. To believe her will have real, negative professional and personal consequences for you, personally, as well as for your daughter/sister/wife. To conclude that she’s “overreacting” means life will go on as before, except for a new and perhaps irreparable distance in your relationship to the woman.

What do you do? I’m genuinely curious and not trying to box you into a corner. This stuff happens.