~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE W.A.S.H. RAG published by Women Against Sexual Harassment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Available on-line ASAP at http://www.washrag.org/ or http://members.tripod.com/~WASHRAG/ along with earlier issues ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Subscribe to e-mail version of this newsletter by going to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenAgainstSexualHarassmentNationaland and joining the group. Recent issues are posted here immediately when completed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Issue 10, Number 2 July, 2002 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contents I'm Going to Sue Microsoft Sexual Harassment in an Athletic Club DAWN Files for Non-Profit Status Teenager Harassed by Teacher Humanitas Tracking Sexual Abuse of Prisoners Requests for Information on Sexual Harassment Law Regarding Minors National Issues Cazenovia College Update Regional Issues In The Media Captured Queen, a Study of Sexual Abuse in Sweden Interesting New Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I'm going to sue Microsoft ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One of the things I've learned over the past 10 years from reading legal journals is that if a case like mine isn't resolved it eventually becomes more damaging to the men. In other words, my web site is a psych on Mr. Gates. It's humiliating to him and the other males at the company. It's a form of sexual harassment in reverse. They really don't like this negative PR. I've put up a page and some of the documents that are going to be used. Microsoft started "head hunting" me in 1988. This man attempted to head hunt me for years. Then when I complained about the violence and abuse by males in his company my career was destroyed. The harassment has never stopped. I think that all women should read this. I may never get into court but they do know me in the White House. I figure the negative PR from this will hurt Mr. Gates. What I found at Microsoft was abused women. Abused women think the abuse is normal. While I know that much of what happened was due to women being afraid in his company and acting in bizarre ways, he was CEO and should have had better control over what was going on. My psychologist in 1991 compared Microsoft to a dysfunctional family. She said that in cases like this you have an alcoholic mother or father, spousal abuse, incest and kids taking drugs. Yet to the outside world they look squeaky clean and normal. She said then a neighbor calls the police when they hear a women screaming or the father get a DUI or one of the kids gets busted for drugs. Once it's in the courts the whole thing begins to unravel and all the covered up stuff comes out. This is what she said Microsoft was. I've never worked in a company like this. It's at the bottom of all their legal problems with the government right now. Sometimes you have to really hit the public to get this to stop. No one would have guessed that the wealthiest man in the world was from a dysfunctional family and abused himself. He was. That is why he rocks. And that is why he still puts up with it. Do you know that the EEOC said that it was OK for them to abuse me on the job because the males were abused too! Can you believe that? I was in shock. How can anyone work well under such a situation? And why should a women have her life end just because she was the victim. It's the women who get injured and the women who get penalized, as if we could do something about a man who overpowered us because he is almost twice our size. I'm so tired of being abused. First they abuse you and you get injured. They try to cover it up and abuse you more. After 10 years, I'm feeling almost dead. Hard to believe I was once a beautiful women with a brain. Joan L. Grove -Brewer 425-392-2163 joanbrewer(bleep)attbi.com http://home.attbi.com/~mnemosyne7/BrewerVsMicrosoft.htm http://home.attbi.com/~joanbrewer In articulo mortis~ A fanatical belief in democracy makes democratic institutions impossible. Earl Bertrand Russell Nobel Prize 1950 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sexual Harassment in an Athletic Club ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am hoping you can help me out. I came across your website while searching for some definition on how to solve a problem I am having and what my legal rights are. I participate in a non-profit, social/athletic organization in Washington DC. I paid $60 for my season membership. There is an individual in this organization (not leadership) who arrives at the bar we go to, and proceeds to slap (hard!) the backsides of various women, grab at the breasts of various women, and last week this man put his hand down the back of my pants at the bar. This is clearly harassment or even assault, but since it is not in the workplace, what laws apply and how can I protect myself from further advances, or even retribution if I "tell the powers that be" about his behavior? The incidents have been reported, but they want names of the women involved, so most women are backing off. Can they do that? Do whistleblower laws apply here? National was contacted by my division leadership immediately after the incident (some of them tried talking to the man in question at the bar). My division, DC Capital, leadership asked that this individual be removed immediately. National spoke to the other division which this man was a member of. The second division, DC Rock Creek, asked DC Capital for accounts from the women that were harassed by this guy, and wanted names included, saying that nothing would be done unless they got names. Of course, this made the DC Capital women very uncomfortable (I brought to their attention a little thing called "Whistleblower Protection" as I have dealt with labor law in the past) and the president sent accounts, but excluded names. National still just acted as intermediates, until the President of National called the man in question and asked for a formal apology. He wrote a formal apology to the president of DC Capital, and promised to never attend a DC Capital event again. Needless to say, I am not pleased with the way it was handled, and I am concerned about how this guy is going to behave at the All-Division end of season party. I am hoping it is a big enough party that any contact with this individual can be avoided, and I can certainly say that if this guy acts the same way or worse in the future, DC Metro police will be notified. This guy has been given a mere slap on the wrist - and there's nothing to say that he isn't doing the same thing to the women in the Rock Creek Division. Beth bethve(bleep)hotmail.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ DAWN Files for Non-Profit Status ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Certificate of Incorporation for DAWN, Willapa Chapter (Domestic Abuse Women's Net) has been received from the State of Washington Secretary Of State, recognizing "A Washington Non-Profit Corporation," as of Date: May 23, 2002. Registered agent and incorporator is Anne Louise Grimm. Signed as Director is Boneta Campbell who, as Education Officer utilizing her education, former experience in the field as advocate for the Crisis Support Network, and many community contacts, will be a most valuable asset. Betty Miller is filling the office of Bylaws Officer, (chair). Grimm is Information Officer. Other officers joining the board of directors are Carrie McDonald as Secretary; Ann Mergens, Historian; Donna M. Kust, Facilitator. Mindi Linquist --from Senator Patty Murray's office in Vancouver-- will join three male advisors. Send e-mail to anne(bleep)willapabay.org, URL is www.willapabay.org/~anne/witness.htm, mailing address is 434 - 6th Street #206 Raymond WA 98577-1804 USA DAWN’s original purpose is to provide funds to attorneys representing victims of domestic abuse, securing safety for a young parent and children, via money obtained through grants and otherwise. Also in preparation is the "Willapa Chapter DAWN Small Business Incubator" designed to help build --and start-- small businesses in the community ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Teenager Harassed by Teacher ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I need some advise from you. I was sexual harassed by my teacher. I told the principle and we took it to the board. And I had no proof of this it was only my word against his. This is what happened. I was in his class the first semester we would talk. We got to be good friends always joking around about sexual stuff he would touch me but I thought nothing of it. Like he would pick up my shirt. Touch my butt. Stuff like that. Then I finally got out of his classroom, this was around January I went down there to hang out since my teacher said I could and I had some friends down there. About 20 minutes passed and he asked me to walk outside with him, he had to talk to me so I was like, okay. So we went outside and he said, "When you say some of the things you say, do you mean it?" and I was like, "No," and he said, "You know that can get me in trouble, right?" and I was like, "Yes, so I'll stop," and he said, "I want you, do you know that?" And I was like, "No," and he was like, "I don't know why, but I do." I walked in and told my friend and told her, "Try not to let it show so everyone won’t ask me what is wrong." So a couple of months went by and I avoided his room until one day I had to go down to his room to give my friend a letter and he was like, "I need to talk to you, please talk to me." I said, "No." And he was like, "I need to talk to you," and I started walking and he started walking after me and then I started running as fast as I could until I came to a person in the hall so I could stop and be safe. Me and my friend the next morning were talking out in the hallway and she told me that he got all mad and started cursing at them. Th.ean all of a sudden here he comes and he looked at me and I just broke down. And I told the principle. They asked him about it and they told us that it was my fault. So we are guessing that he didn't acknowledge this but told them that it was all my fault. So like any other person I was scared. Scared of what he might do to me if he saw me in the hall. So I went home thinking that would help things but it didn't, every time I would go into that school or go somewhere I would look around and make sure he wasn't there. I have nightmares about it. When it first happened I had them all the time, now it is just once in a while. He is not working in my school anymore. But that still doesn't change things, what if he gets another teaching job and does the same thing to them as he did to me, but this time went a little more than just touching. How would I ever forgive myself if that happened to another person? What do you think I should do? Please help me. Thanks a lot for your time. If you are sexually harassed by a teacher. Don't Just set there and do nothing about it. Tell someone, don't be afraid there will always be someone there with you the whole way... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Humanitas Tracking Sexual Abuse of Prisoners ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Humanitas is reporting on sex crimes perpetrated by police officers, especially a Tim Winchester, who works for the Ardmore, Oklahoma (Carter County) police department. He has been accused of multiple sex abuse incidents. Quoting humanitas, "No study has ever found false Police Sexual Violence complaints to be more likely than any other genre of false sexual abuse allegation. Most sexual abuse allegations are statistically regarded as being true and sexual abuse allegations against police officers are very rarely found to be false or deliberately contrived." Humanitas claims that until recently, there were internet listservs that advised sex predators which police departments were the best for them to work for. They report that a female British prisoner was raped in the presence of a female Federal officer in the Brooklyn Detention Center, which would have gotten no notice if she had not been a British citizen. Humanitas claims that the Bureau of Prisons is a repository for sex criminals on a grand scale, and adds that "before long the now clandestine listervs will be telling their memberships what nursing home is easy or what school is worth a try, etc.. It took only a few days for sex predators on the internet to start talking about airline security jobs. If it was sex abuse with complete impunity they were all for signing up. Institutions need systems of risk management that work." Humanitas reports on the case of Samantha Monroe, who was 12 years old in 1981 when her parents enrolled her in the Sarasota, Fla., branch of Straight Inc., an aggressive drug rehab center for teens. Barely a teen, Samantha also had no history of drug abuse. But she spent the next two years of her life surviving Straight. She was beaten, starved and denied toilet privileges for days on end. She describes her "humble pants," a punishment that forced her to wear the same pants for six weeks at a time. Because she was allowed just one shower a week, the pants often filled with feces, urine and menstrual blood. Often she was confined to her closet for days. She gnawed through her jaw during those "timeout" sessions, hoping she'd bleed to death. She says that after she was raped by a male counselor, "the wonderful state of Florida paid for and forced me to have an abortion." ... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Requests for Information on Sexual Harassment Law Regarding Minors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I would like some information on sexual harassment, for example: at what age does it start, gender break down, what percentage is male initiating the harassment as opposed to the female initiating the harassment, and any additional information about sexual harassment. The reason I need the information is I am a school probation officer in Yuma, AZ. As part of my job I am required to provide Law Related Education lessons to the student body. One thing I noticed at the school is that we are not immune. Aside from the fact that when sexual harassment takes place and addressing the issue with the student, what are some other ways to change the behavior? Thank you, Rudy Acosta Rstang6972(bleep)aol.com I am seeking information or resources regarding sexual harassment of a minor (16 year old) in the workplace. My specific question is whether a minor can, in the legal sense, "welcome" sexual harassment perpetrated by an adult even though she cannot consent under the criminal law to sexual conduct with an adult. Any assistance or guidance you can provide would be greatly appreciated. "CHRISTINA JOHNSON" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ National Issues ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ NOW has listed Walmart as one of its "Merchants of Shame" because of "sex discrimination in pay, promotion and compensation; of wage abuses, violation of child labor laws and the Americans with Disabilities Act; exclusion of contraceptive coverage in employee insurance plans and discrimination on the basic of sexual orientation." NOW has also listed Mitsubishi Motors as another "Merchant of Shame" because of "a history of substantial charges of sex discrimination, pay inequity and other workplace abuses that are simply intolerable" including "an appalling track record of workplace abuses including sexual harassment, violence in the workplace and devastating wage inequities." According to Womensenews, Maria Suarez, convicted 20 years ago of killing the man who bought her as a sex slave at age 16, was denied parole by California Governor Gray Davis last week, despite the California state parole board's recommendation that she be released. They quote the AP, "Anselmo Covarrubias, then 68, took Suarez into his home, raped her repeatedly and over the course of five years, wielded emotional, physical and financial control over her." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cazenovia College Update ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From Doug Seamans of Cazenovia College: Sorry that it took me this long to tell you the outcome of all the events, but to sum it up, we won! The CFO resigned from his post, and also resigned as a member of the Manlius Village Board. I am including a couple of articles from the Syracuse Post-Standard. Thanks for your help in taking this issue national. While this battle was won, the war is still ongoing at this campus. The administration of Cazenovia College has delivered several astonishing plans to the college, with no input from the students on any of them. We quote from the Post Standard article: "Jackler, who made $120,987 as the school's chief financial officer, resigned earlier this week. He could not be reached for comment." "Former Cazenovia College Vice President Jay L. Jackler broke the school's sexual harassment policy at least 19 times, affecting more than 20 employees, according to an internal college memo obtained Friday by The Post-Standard." "The Human Rights Review Board also found that Jackler attempted to retaliate against a review board member. Their memo states that he contacted former college employees ‘stating that there was a 'witch hunt' and that he was seeking 'dirt' on a specific member of the Board.’" The review board's memo states that Jackler demonstrated little understanding of appropriate behavior. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Regional Issues ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On March 24, a Centerville, South Dakota woman, Dana Adamson, was murdered, her husband was the town’s former Police Chief. Although there were no domestic violence citations reported, the victim’s sister said that they fought constantly. They had been out together the night before, and she had been happier than she had seen her in months, so she was sure she hadn’t committed suicide. On March 20, KELO news reported that a 12 year old child adopted while they lived in England had been locked up and starved by an Elsworth Air Force Base couple, Sgt. Kevin and Elise Whaley. A natural daughter had not been abused. On March 17, KSFY news reported that a Sioux Falls man, Dusty Kuser, had been arrested for beating Jennifer Kopecki. She was knocked out and remained in a coma, but eventually came out of it but remained in critical condition. On March 13, 2002, KCAU in Sioux City reported that an Irene, South Dakota man had been charged with possessing child pornography. On March 20, KELO news carried a story about Katie Koestner talking at Augustana College about a date rape she experienced KMEG news in Sioux City carried a story on June 7 about Patty Erickson Putnam, who had sued Woodbury County for failing to prevent harassment, it is being appealed The trial has started for Wayne, Nebraska flower shop owner, Roger Van, for holding a Texas man prisoner in the basement of his shop in a bondage relationship. Jerry Marshall, who helped him escape, has also been charged. A former intern for the Episcopal Church at a church on the Lower Brule Indian Reservation in 1993, Linda Dutton, has filed sexual harassment charges against her supervisor there, Rev. Jim Pearson. She was advised at the time to wait to file her charges until she had been ordained. The Episcopal Church, a la the Catholic Church, has cleared Pearson of all charges. Dutton did not ask for any damages, she only filed the charges so the church would make changes. Fat chance. On July 9 KELO in Sioux Falls carried a story about the case in which Brenda Jares won $400,000 award from Lodgenet in a sexual harassment case around 4 years ago. It was upheld on appeal. Jason Van Ackern’s appeal for his conviction for having sex with one of his students when he taught at the Norfolk Catholic High School has been denied. Valentine, Nebraska wrestling coach Jon Hughes has been charged with sexually assaulting a 17 year old girl of February 9. An Omaha priest, Rev. Thomas Sellentin, has been dismissed and granted early retirement after being accused of sexually molesting boys 30 years ago. Thanks to Compass, NDVSAC newsletter for Nebraska stories. I have a note that a girl named Plum got ten years for leaving her baby to die outside in a field. Her boyfriend and father of the child, a 26 year old registered sex offender, got zip. Regrettably, I did not write down the source or the town. Heidi Watkins, a Storm Lake woman, is in jail now because her boyfriend murdered and abused her small girl, Shelby Duis. The boyfriend got off Scot free. The Sheriff’s department in Storm Lake has subpoenaed records from the Planned Parenthood office in Storm Lake looking for the mother of a dead infant found at the recycling center there. Although I was never able to interview the teenager whose pimp had stolen property from a Sioux Falls man to cover the cost of services, the media had no trouble getting an interview with a teenager who found a dead baby in a toilet in a HyVee store there. Does anyone beside me see some inconsistencies here? My impression has been that this area is a hot spot for Right To Life type bigots. And this is what they want for the whole country! If that is what we allow to happen, that is what we deserve. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In The Media ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Primetime on ABC on June 20 had a story about employees at Ralph’s Supermarket in Escondito, California. Their boss, Ralph Mashoic, had bullied them over years. He abused them verbally, threw things at them, terrorized them, and was dictatorial. In a previous trial, the company had gotten the punitive damages dropped, but this trial gave them ten times as much. Each woman got $5 million dollars. In 15 years, 44 women had been exposed to the treatment. Some series have carried harassment themes, Jag on April 23, Law and Order Special Victims Unit on March 9, Crime Scene Investigation on April 4, and Law and Order Crime and Punishment on June 29 and July 6 were about domestic violence and rape respectively. Campaign ads for Dick Casey, a SD Legislator running for Congress, carried a woman who told how he had helped her in a SH situation. It is interesting that a candidate here would use this to get votes, and also interesting that he did not get elected. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Captured Queen, a Study of Sexual Abuse in Sweden ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This English translation of the original Swedish version was published by the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority. The study itself is a result of a governmental commission which was given to the authority in connection with the Protection of Women’s Integrity Reform. The authority gave Eva Lundgren, who has a professorship appointed by the government specializing in violence against women, and Gun Heimer, an Associate Professor and Head of the Swedish National Centre for Battered and Raped Women, a commission to implement the task. Both work at Uppsala University. The study was sent to 10,000 Swedish women between 18 and 64 years old. The response rate was high, over 70 percent. The age of silence seems to be over. Women can and want to express their experiences of violence. All in all, this gives an image of the situation, which is a massive challenge to the myth of Sweden as a country of equal opportunities between men and women. The publication includes a copy of the survey, and chapter 7 is on Sexual Harassment. Earlier in the study, the reports were that women with higher incomes were exposed to more sexual harassment than women with lower incomes, but recent results show the opposite to be true. To me, the fact that sexual harassment was included in a study of violence against women is a encouraging. More information about the study and the Swedish and English publications can be found on the website www.brottsoffermyndigheten.se or write to Brottsoffermyndigheten/The Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority, Box 470, S-901 09 UMEA, Sweden, phone: +46 (90) 16 57 10, Fax +46 (90) 17 83 53 e-mail: registrator(bleep)brottsoffermyndigheten.se ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Interesting new links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Documented Reference Check to see if you are getting bad references from former employers 23441 Golden Springs Dr #465 Diamond Bar, CA 91765 (909) 629-6172 www.badreferences.com orderstatus(bleep)badreferences.com Women's Rights at Work educate women about their rights in the workplace, specifically regarding sexual harassment and gender discrimination. www.citizenactionny.org. Click on Women's Rights at Work. "Lesley M Guilmart" Every Mother is a Working Mother Network based in Los Angeles 323-292-7405, Philadelphia 215-848-1120, San Francisco 415-626-4114 "Phila Crossroads Women's Center" PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) programs has a ton of great information including sites to get free downloads of security software, including some for e-mail security. www.security.tao.ca The Kali Guide A directory of Resources for Women www.kaliguide.com www.zenprint.net stelli(bleep)zenprint.net WE’RE ON THE WEB http://www.washrag.org/ and at http://members.tripod.com/~WASHRAG/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ This on-line version of THE WASHRAG is being sent to you free. A print version can be obtained by subscribing. In the US, send $10.00 to Women Against Sexual Harassment, P. O. Box 164, Canton, SD 57013-0164. Outside the US, send $20.00 to join. For a sample issue, send a #10 sized SASE. For a Publisher98 print module, e-mail washragezine(bleep)yahoo.com E-mail comments can be sent to washragezine(bleep)yahoo.com. If you know of anyone you think might be interested, just send us their e-mail address and we will put them on our e-mail mailing list. If you do not wish to receive further copies of this newsletter, indicate your preference to washragezine(bleep)yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ copyright 2002 Tesseract Publications, P. O. Box 164 Canton, SD 57013-0164 (605) 987-5070.