Some folks seem to think it’s in poor taste for the press to speculate about this.

And yeah, okay, probably not a great idea to draw conclusions about office dynamics we never experienced, especially in a way that could soil a man’s reputation based upon unverified claims.

BUT.

Ted Genoways’s public statement is not exactly what I would call sensitive regarding mental health issues:

“His long history of depression caused him trouble throughout his career, leading often to conflicts with his bosses.”

It is very clear from this statement where Genoways locates the full burden re: mental health… and it is definitely on the individual with a disability, not the institutions and systems with which they interface.

Contributing to the stigma encountered on a daily basis by persons with mental illness, refusing to make accommodations to persons with disabilities (if that is indeed something that occurred), making ableist statements in the press… these things should be communal and collective concerns, toward the end of promoting disability rights. Regardless of what did or did not contribute to one person’s suicide, we should always participate in conversations about how to create environments that are accessible and promote health and self determination for people of all abilities. That’s not gossip. Or if it is, it’s the kind that has the potential to improve our communities.