A CNN reporter has a painfully obvious, must-watch lesson for men in the workplace.

A member of Congress responsible for investigating sexual harassment claims has — you guessed it — been accused of sexual harassment.

The New York Times reported that Rep. Patrick Meehan (R-Pennsylvania), a member of the House Ethics Committee, settled his own harassment case involving a younger aide last year — using taxpayer money.

The 62-year-old married father of three admitted that he viewed the younger woman as "a soul mate" and allegedly got upset when he learned she was dating someone else, creating a hostile work environment that forced her out of her job. Based on interviews he's done since, it doesn't seem that he thinks there was anything wrong with his actions.

Pat Meehan says he saw younger aide as 'a soul mate' but denies harassment https://t.co/OhGHqkx77y
— Philly.com (@Philly.com)1516741878.0

On the Jan. 24 episode of "The Lead with Jake Tapper," CNN White House reporter Kaitlan Collins shared a lesson for Meehan and other men.

"Let this just be a message to all of the grown men out there that the younger women who work for you do not want to date you," Collins said. "They do not want to be your soul mate. They do not want to go to ice cream with you. They do not want to be your partner."

"The younger women who work for you do not want to date you. They do not want to be your soul mate." GIFs from CNN/Twitter.

"And when they start dating someone else, you cannot get angry with them for that and try to pay them money to cover it up," she continued, exasperated. "That is just a lesson I should not have to say to people. I'm a 25-year-old woman. I shouldn't have to say that to anyone, that when a woman goes to work, they don't want to date their boss."

"When a woman goes to work, they don't want to date their boss."

It's really simple: If you're someone's boss, you shouldn't be getting hung up about who they're dating or expressing your own romantic feelings for them.

That's harassment. Even if feelings are mutual, supervisor-subordinate relationships are an extremely delicate issue that often invites trouble. With imbalances in power dynamics — say, if the person you're pursuing has to worry whether you'll fire them for rebuffing your advances — it's probably just best if you avoid the issue completely, keeping things professional in the workplace.

"When I discussed her boyfriend, I stated that I wished I could be better at accepting it right now but I probably needed a bit of time," Meehan told the Inquirer — a major indicator that his interest in his aide was inappropriate. In a letter to the woman, Meehan discussed going to the Vietnam Memorial, finding her last name, and tracing it back to someone with his own name.

The whole thing is just really, truly, unnecessarily weird and creepy.

Don't be creepy.

Watch Collins offer up her lesson for grown men about the younger women who work for them below.

A message from @kaitlancollins to grown men: The young women that work for you do not want to date you. They do not want to be your soulmate. They do not want to get ice cream with you. They do not want to be your partner. I shouldn’t have to tell you this. pic.twitter.com/C3WiQGIhAH
— The Lead CNN (@TheLeadCNN) January 24, 2018

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Let's Do More Together

Meet the people infusing their communities with love and support when it’s needed most

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If the past year has taught us nothing else, it's that sending love out into the world through selfless acts of kindness can have a positive ripple effect on people and communities. People all over the United States seemed to have gotten the message — 71% of those surveyed by the World Giving Index helped a stranger in need in 2020. A nonprofit survey found 90% helped others by running errands, calling, texting and sending care packages. Many people needed a boost last year in one way or another and obliging good neighbors heeded the call over and over again — and continue to make a positive impact through their actions in this new year.

Upworthy and P&G Good Everyday wanted to help keep kindness going strong, so they partnered up to create the Lead with Love Fund. The fund awards do-gooders in communities around the country with grants to help them continue on with their unique missions. Hundreds of nominations came pouring in and five winners were selected based on three criteria: the impact of action, uniqueness, and "Upworthy-ness" of their story.

Here's a look at the five winners:

Edith Ornelas, co-creator of Mariposas Collective in Memphis, Tenn.

Edith Ornelas has a deep-rooted connection to the asylum-seeking immigrant families she brings food and supplies to families in Memphis, Tenn. She was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States when she was 7 years old with her parents and sister. Edith grew up in Chicago, then moved to Memphis in 2016, where she quickly realized how few community programs existed for immigrants. Two years later, she helped create Mariposas Collective, which initially aimed to help families who had just been released from detention centers and were seeking asylum. The collective started out small but has since grown to approximately 400 volunteers.

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