Female employee tells 5'6 male coworker that he shouldn't have children because he's too short: 'She said she doesn't understand why someone would marry a man as short as I am.'

Author image for Emmy Pratt
Emmy Pratt • Senior Editor
Feb 24, 2026 7:00 PM EST

Why would you say that to anyone, let alone a short man who just got married? 

I am a tall woman. I have been 5'11 since I was 12 years old, and that definitely affects how I see the world. First and foremost, I don't have a very good sense of how tall other people are, especially if they're average-height women. If you are 5'3 to 5'6, I could not tell you how tall you are. I think that 5'3 women are 5'6 and vice versa all the time. However, if someone, especially another woman, is taller than me, I clock it immediately. I feel insecure because it's so rare for me to interact with a woman who is taller than I am. 

I believe that it's much easier to be a tall woman than it is to be a short man. This is purely based on anecdotal evidence, but I know a lot more women who refuse to date any men who are shorter than them than men who wouldn't date a tall girl. Maybe that's because I know more women in general, but discrimination against short guys in the dating pool is a well-documented phenomenon. As a tall person, I understand wanting to be with someone who is close to my height. What I don't understand is why people who are 5'0 claim they wouldn't want to date anyone shorter than 6'0. At that height, 5'9 should be enough for you! Heck, even 5'5 should be enough! 

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  • A man and a woman looking at a laptop
    via Vitaly Gariev

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • If you wouldn't date a short man, it's probably best to keep that information to yourself and date who you want to date. I wouldn't advise that you inform every short man in your life that you're not interested in him, because that'd only cause hurt feelings.

  • Am I wrong for calling my coworker a psycho when she made fun of my height?

    This all kind of spiraled out of control. I am 5'6". I know that I am short.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • It has never bothered me. My parents are also short. My sisters are all shorter than me.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • People of my ethnic background tend to be shorter than average. I also recently got married.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • My coworker is upset about this for some reason. She said she doesn't understand why someone would marry a man as short as I am.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • She eventually said that short men shouldn't have kids because it's bad for the gene pool.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • Baby in a white knit sack lying on bed
    via Garrett Jackson

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I told her that was eugen ics. She said it isn't. I said it literally is.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • I told her that since a lot of my people are short, is she saying we shouldn't exist?
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • We shouldn't get married, and we shouldn't have kids? I was getting a little emotional, but I didn't raise my voice.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • She told me to calm down. I said she was the one acting like a psycho.
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  • I'm just living my life, and she's advocating to re- create the Nuremberg laws. She went to HR to complain about me calling her a psycho.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • HR asked me to think about my word choices in the future, but didn't document. She was documented for racial insensitivity.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • Most of our coworkers found out what happened, and several are on her side and said I have a fragile ego.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • Three colleagues having conversation on the break
    via Getty Images (Unsplash+)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • I wasn't upset that she called me short, which is what the people who think I'm in the wrong keep saying.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • I was upset she said I shouldn't have kids because of it. But still, me calling her psycho was a bridge too far in many people's minds.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • demoNToosh Regional, but where I'm at, me being 5.6" is generally regarded as short. However, when I go to Vietnam, I'm not short anymore.
    via u/demoNToosh
  • Aggravating-Fly-756 Original Poster's Reply Yeah, if I didn't live in America | might be taller.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • YouBetYourCraft NTA. Apparently she has issues. She was totally wrong for her comments. She should not have children with her attitude. Lord help if they turn out short. There are plenty of short men and women. No medical logic or reasoning to her unintelligent summary of genetics. That is her biased opinion. HR was wrong for not writing her up for starting the situation. She started it by degrading you as a human.S he needs to keep her opinions to herself. She is physho!
    via u/YouBetYourCraft
  • Aggravating-Fly-756 Original Poster's Reply They did "write her up." They documented with her.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • GreyStormOfLight She didn't just make fun of your height, she insulted your ethnicity. NTA
    via u/GreyStormOfLight
  • Aggravating-Fly-756 Original Poster's Reply That's how I feel about it, and HR determined that as well. However she and several coworkers are of the mind that she was just teasing me about my height and I pulled the "race card" to get out of trouble for overreacting and calling her a psycho.
    via u/Aggravating-Fly-756
  • Worldly_Ad_8125 That woman would despise me then. Im 4'11 (my husband is average height for a guy) and we gasp had a child. The fact she believes your height should disqualify you from ever becoming a parent is beyond wild.
    via u/Worldly_Ad_8125
  • destro23 >She said she doesn't understand why someone would marry a man as short as I am. She eventually said that short men shouldn't have kids because it's bad for the gene pool. - NTA How the f I was she not fired for this? Your HR department S ks. Now that you know they S k, don't let her be the first to speak to them next time she pops off. If she does, do not engage. Just go straight to HR and tell them what she said verbatim.
    via u/destro23
  • Curious-One4595 NTA. She was harassing you in the work place. She should have stopped the moment you expressed that her opinion wasn't welcome. She needs to keep her judgmental, r cist mouth shut. Your coworkers calling your ego fragile are enablers, don't-rock-the- boat types who would never dream of calling this woman out. Disregard their opinions. Next time they criticize, tell them that you respectfully disagree, as did HR, and you consider the matter closed and will not discuss it further.
    via u/Curious-One4595
  • swaggyboi1991 TIL that 5'6 is short.
    via u/swaggyboi1991
  • Nolan_Graks You weren't wrong to be upset - saying short men shouldn't have kids because of the gene pool is absolutely discriminatory and gross. That's not teasing, that's dehumanizing. Where you lost some footing was calling her a psycho. It's understandable in the moment, but insults shift focus from what she said to how you reacted. HR documenting her and not you tells you who was more out of line.
    via u/Nolan_Graks
  • shyfidelity I don't believe that any coworkers are "on her side" if she's been harassing you about your height and marriage and genetics. This is ragebait
    via u/shyfidelity
  • rusty0123 I'm a 5'9" woman. In my family, I'm not considered tall, just average. I have two aunts who are over 6'. A few years ago, I spent a year in NYC. There I was really, really tall. I couldn't even buy clothes.
    via u/rusty0123

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height employee coworkers relationships ego human resources america married children short
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