If the allegations leveled against Morgan Freeman on Thursday are true, his behavior reflects a particular kind of misconduct that women are more familiar with than men might realize, making his case one of #MeToo’s most instructive.

Eight women accused Freeman of “what some called harassment and others called inappropriate behavior” in a CNN investigation, credibly depicting the actor as the type of lecherous creep who believes his unsolicited flirtations in the workplace are within the bounds of permissible behavior. And at 80, Freeman came of age in an era when men like that roamed workplaces freely — the “dinosaurs” Harvey Weinstein’s attorney once spoke of — though that’s not an excuse.