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In reply to the discussion: OK retired DUers - how did you handle sexual harassment back in the day [View all]2Gingersnaps
(1,000 posts)Last edited Tue Aug 3, 2021, 09:39 PM - Edit history (1)
than 6 months, she was molested by a 32 year old married relative, and of course, it was all her fault. It was a life sentence, she is 11 months older than me and looks 20 years older. It was a life lesson to me. I would take a beating with a razor strap before I would "show that upstanding member of the community respect." Having said that, passive resistance was my go to, that is what saved me as a kid in foster care. Before I went to nursing school I worked in the yard of a major auto manufacturer, running cars from the door of the factory to the railyard. We drove them out, an open van picked us up and took us back. One man in particular would sit behind women and put both arms over her shoulders and fondle her breasts. So because I was passive and gentle natured, naturally I was a target. I told him to keep his hands off me, I had two men in my life and I didn't need any more. So of course the gossip mongers ears perked up, I laughed and said "my husband and my son thank you very much." So the guy had stalked another woman and she became the problem and eventually quit. Then I became the problem, I was getting followed home and getting hang up phone calls as soon as I got home, he needed to know if I was going strait home. So I told him if he would like to discuss the situation with my husband, a huge football linebacker looking kind of guy (gentle as a teddy bear, but he sure didn't look it). Then I got turned into management and the union on the SAME day. Management said if I couldn't get along with my crew I could look for another job. My Union Steward said to play nice with the bastard because we all knew what he was and we didn't want him to lose his job, he would end up stalking playgrounds. We ended up losing our jobs because the company thought our contract company was a back door attempt at unionization for the larger factory. So I got another part time job and went to nursing school because I thought educated professional people would have more couth. LOL, yeah, I was that naïve at 32. I was also a tilter of windmills and was highly politically active because we were going to change the world. I cornered a very well known Senator and lectured him on the horrors of foster care and aging out to sink or swim. He listened, bless his heart, but his eyes glazed over. That was 20 years ago, he recently introduced legislation concerning duty to report abuse in Ohio, we had 2000 kids die in this state last year of abuse. It hasn't changed since I was a kid. Wish I could tell you I slayed the dragon. Dear God I tried.