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PROGRAM D-8019
Today we find our friend, Fran, in a real dilemma on her job. She’s experienced overt sexual encounters—very inappropriate behavior—from a senior man in the firm, and she doesn’t know what to do about it. Her friend, Louise, has agreed to meet her at the coffee shop to talk. As she’s getting ready to leave, her boss, Marilyn, walks in and asks how the day went with John.
Not sure what to say, Fran stammers and basically avoids the question. “I know John can be a dirty old man sometimes,” Marilyn says, “but it goes with the territory. These guys that have been around for a while—well they’re in a cultural lag, if you know what I mean. To them a woman is still a sexual object and they can’t believe that offends us. Just take it with a grain of salt.”
“Well. . .” Fran doesn’t know what to say, and Marilyn continues.
“I put my time in with John when I was a rookie. Guess it happens to many of us. Go home and forget about it,” Marilyn advises.
As she reaches the coffee shop, Louise is already there. Fran joins her.
“It must have something to do with John Sims,” Louise surmises. “What’s up?”
Fran pours her heart out to Louise, telling her all the details of John’s behavior, his touches, his remarks, and his attempt to pin her behind the desk and kiss her. Louise shakes her head as she listens.
“Fran,” Louise says, “that was classic sexual harassment.”
“Are you sure?” Fran asks.
“I attended a workshop on sexual harassment and learned a lot. You need to learn, too,” Louise says. “Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual behavior, and usually it is repeated.”
“Yeah,” Fran says, “Marilyn indicated he had done the same thing to her, but she said it goes with the territory.”
“Lots of women have put up with it to protect their jobs,” Louise replies.
“But maybe…” Fran replies, “maybe I did something or gave him some wrong impression. I mean, is there anything sexy about this suit? Maybe I’m giving off signals and I don’t even know it.”
“Fran,” Louise tells her, “that’s a typical response. It’s not dissimilar to that of an abused woman, who thinks she’s done something to deserve the abuse. There’s nothing wrong with your suit. Remember, good decent women get raped, and good decent women are sexually harassed.”
Louise suggests they go to her home where they’ll have some privacy. “You’ve got to take some action, Fran. Let’s go talk about it.”