Women Friendly Workplace Campaign Speakout


[Subject Prev][Subject Next][Subject Index]

I know why Harassment will never stop.



My husband has been in top management in his career in our state for about 20 years. The tragic stories he has come to tell me of women being sexually harassed within the companies he has worked for would turn an honest persons stomach. From pornography being physically placed on desks or in the face of a woman......to direct sexual pursuits.
These companies generate millions every year and often times it is the owner of a company doing the harassment. My husband was approached by one of his employees with such an issue about 2 years ago. His only recourse was to bring the complaint to the supervisor of the female involved. Sadly, the harasser was the owner of the company and the supervisor and the partner in the company were also involved. My husband was fired from a 300,000 a year job. Blacklisted in his field of work and has had to move out of state, away from his family, to work. All because he did what he was legally bound to do.
The legal system has guidelines for sexual harassment. But, they do not tell you that should you follow those guidelines you will lose everything you have and the person committing those harassment's will continue to harass while you scramble to feed your family.
My husband has filed a suit but it has been 2 years and deposition has not even begun. The evidence in the case is overwhelming and blatant. The BOLI conducted a 9 month investigation and found that my husband was in fact fired for following the law and that he was the only person truthful. Meantime, it has been 2 years, and the owner of the company continues his harassment. Our investigation uncovers that this man has a history of sexual harassment of women employed by his company and he is described as a sexual predator by women who pretty much left the company running from him.
My husbands attorney says the only way to punish this man for what he has done is to sue him for money. Financially we are about broke, so that would help us. BUT, in all reason how does this help the women that are victimized in that company??? I believe that people who abuse their power and authority to gain sexual favors from the women in their employment should lose their business licenses. Why not ?? Especially when they use their company as a stalking ground ! Sexual harassment laws DO NOT WORK . My husband is well known in his field of work and I guarantee you no other manager or top executive in this state will ever report a sexual harassment issue for fear of what happened to my husband. In fact, my husbands case was being discussed in Europe by people in his field. Losing your income and your status is a grave fear for any man who has a family, and many women will be victimized with no hope of help because people fear that loss.
It is the honest MEN within a company who can help bring a stop to sexual harassment.......but those men must have support !!
And get this, we have witnesses who say that the attorney and the owner of the company have offered money to get people to lie...(and the attorney is also advising the owner's victims!!That evidence is on tape and in the public record !!!)....someone may lose a license to pratice law if I can follow the red tape road to bring a formal complaint.
This is a very condensed version of my husband's case but I am sure it is a common one and many know the process we are now enduring.


Submit Your Own Story / Return to Women-Friendly Workplace Campaign
Return to NOW Home Page / Join NOW / NOW Catalog