~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE WASH 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 12, Number 1 February, 2004 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Contents ONE SMALL WOMAN VS. CORPORATE AMERICA: A SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE Bullied at Pharmaceutical Company Book Reviews, Salter, Bouton Book Review, Chomsky National Stories Local Stories Finding Info About Federal Legislation S.A.F.E. Act New Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you are having trouble viewing the newsletter, click on "format", then on "word wrap" to avoid scrolling over to read it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ONE SMALL WOMAN VS. CORPORATE AMERICA: A SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not a day goes by that I don’t hear a joke with a lawyer as the brunt. As a former stand-up comedienne, I have to admit I’ve been guilty of “dissing” attorneys and the legal system myself. But I recently had an incredible experience that gave me a newfound appreciation and respect for both our country’s judicial system and attorneys. I also learned how important it is to take a stand and speak out for women’s rights. I lived in New York City for eight and a half years from 1985 to 1994. In addition to performing stand-up comedy and acting, I worked for a cable television station as an entertainment reporter and talk show host. In the early 1990’s, we were covering a big Broadway and film actors’ Christmas party, interviewing scads of celebrities on-camera. I noticed a man hovering around my cameraman, watching my every move. Finally I asked him politely, “Forgive me, but should I know you? Am I scheduled to interview you?” Due to a gag order, I can only call this man “Bob.” Bob was the head of the foreign desk at the New York Times, unquestionably one of the most powerful media corporations in the world. At first he was lovely, so elegant and charming. He said he admired my work and asked what I was doing with a “bush league cable station” when clearly I was “the next greatest thing since Leeza Gibbons.” He said he knew the right people and offered to help me get a job with a bigger television station. Well, he was obviously a very bright man with exquisite taste. I thanked him and said I would appreciate his help. He asked for a demo tape and said he would get it to his contacts. The next day I sent Bob my tape and resume, and we met for a business luncheon shortly thereafter. Not more than three sentences into the conversation, my skepticism began to creep in as Bob started asking me personal questions, his wedding band notwithstanding. I gingerly steered the conversation back to the business at hand. I did not want to blow a potentially legit career opportunity simply because Bob was getting a little too “friendly” in his line of questioning. I might add, he did make some valid points on editing my tape and resume and mentioned some real contacts I had heard of, to whom he said he would recommend me at our next meeting. I followed his editing suggestions, and a week later when my tape was ready we scheduled another lunch. That was when I discovered that Bob’s altruism was a calculated, manipulative ruse. Dressed like a primetime anchorwoman, seated in an antiseptic New York businessperson’s lunch establishment - - so quiet even at high noon you could hear a pin drop - - my face was turned away from Bob while I was speaking to the waiter. The moment I turned my head back around, this media executive groped me and tried to ram his tongue into my mouth. No provocation. No warning. One moment I was ordering grilled salmon, the next Bob was trying to swab my throat. Well, I’m not often caught speechless, but in this instance, I was completely stunned. Without a word or a second of hesitation, I wiped my face with my napkin and immediately fled the premises. He trailed after me, apologizing and begging me to stay but I left him in a cloud of smoke. When I returned to my office ten minutes later, he called and apologized profusely. He practically begged me to “forget what happened and to try lunch again tomorrow.” But I had no doubt whatsoever that Bob could care less about my professional goals and had no intention of ever recommending me to his television contacts. It was crystal clear that this was a well-practiced dance of seduction. I can’t tell you how low I felt. Now I’ve been faced with the casting couch before and since, and I’ve had co-workers make passes at me. I’ve tolerated all the indignities women sustain on the streets daily, but I never let those episodes erode my spirit. But after this assault, I began to believe that no one that high up would ever take me seriously, that I was not perceived as a professional, that I could not be “me” without it being misconstrued, that I would have to be guarded and jaded like the severe, ice-cold Dr. Lillith Sternin of “Cheers” fame if I wanted to win in a man’s world as a woman. All the joy I had for my work flatlined, as I began to feel that I’d probably have to sacrifice my integrity if I wanted to be successful in “the male-dominated business and entertainment world.” Intellectually, I knew none of this was true, but emotionally, I fell prey as the effects of this type of behavior can make any woman, even one as innately strong as I am, start doubting herself. And to make matters worse, Bob continued to harass me with incessant phone calls. After several weeks of depression, my self-pity turned into anger, which I knew I had to channel properly. I wanted to turn my victimization into empowerment, and I felt I had a responsibility to try to prevent this man from assaulting other women. I decided to formally charge Bob with sexual harassment. I probably couldn’t have had a more tenuous case from a legal standpoint. Bob was supposedly doing me a favor - - I was not his employee, I was not even interviewing for a particular job, per se. But I knew that the only way I could live with myself was to see Bob held accountable for his behavior. Plus, The New York Times has a sterling reputation as a world leader in ethics and the media; I thought they should know what kind of behavior one of their top executives was indulging in. I found an attorney who was willing to take my case on contingency. Frankly neither one of us thought we’d get anywhere, but we were committed to going the distance. We filed with the EEOC, who I must say were wonderfully open, thorough and caring. But my case was not in their jurisdiction, since this was not an employer/employee relationship and therefore not a civil case. However, they encouraged me to file a private suit with the perpetrator’s corporation. We did just that, and after a few months, The New York Times’ lawyers called my attorney and me in for a private hearing. In attendance were The Times top attorney and one of Bob’s colleagues. While they obviously weren’t thrilled about being sued, I have to say they were extremely receptive and concerned about this matter. They took copious notes during my recital of the entire incident. They handled it so sensitively and elegantly, and it was liberating to be listened to attentively and to be taken seriously. My peace of mind began to return by just having this hearing. Thanks to the efforts of my dedicated attorney and my own detailed records of all related events, The Times offered me a modest out-of-court settlement, which covered my legal fees. I chose to take the settlement rather than proceed with a lawsuit, as I never wanted anything more than to stand up and be heard, have Bob’s behavior documented on his personnel record for the sake of his next victim(s), and to restore my own self-esteem. It was also exhilarating to learn that a huge, powerful company is willing to listen to “one small woman” and take a charge like this seriously. It was so cathartic to learn that some major corporations are concerned with this issue; they do care if you are assaulted and/or demeaned, and they don’t want unethical behavior by a member of their upper echelon to go unchecked. Over the next four years, I was never told what happened to Bob in the aftermath of the hearing. Nor was I privy to the extent of his discipline. But he didn’t ask me to any more lunches. He didn’t call…he didn’t write… There is an interesting sequel to my story. A few years later, three years after my settlement, I had relocated to Los Angeles and I got a call from my New York attorney. He had learned that Bob had been fired by The New York Times for subsequent alleged sexual harassment of several female employees. Bob promptly sued The Times, for whom he had worked 26 years, to the tune of $2.5 million claiming “wrongful termination and defamation of character.” Of course, I immediately contacted The Times’ head attorney and offered my services as a witness for their defense. They were exceedingly appreciative, and in due time flew me to New York for a legal arbitration to hopefully prevent a court trial. Once again, I was treated with the utmost respect and dignity, and it was my privilege to fight on their side this time. The two women who were also there to testify and I were independently sequestered, so I could honestly say I’d never met his other accusers, lest it appear we were all in cahoots. As opposed to a courtroom trial, an arbitration allows the defense and the prosecution to call surprise witnesses to testify. All the color drained out of Bob’s face when I was ushered in by the defense. Although the prosecution tried every trick in the book to have both my testimony and me thrown out, the arbitrator allowed me to proceed. How different a setting the arbitrator’s conference room was from my familiar milieu of a comedy club stage. I was so nervous and anxious walking in, but I kept repeating to myself the three instructions The Times’ attorneys gave me: “Tell the truth, tell the truth, and tell the truth.” I recounted the whole incident and carefully answered the prosecution’s cross-examination while a court stenographer stonily took down every word. I made it clear that it was never my intention to ruin a man’s career or his life, nor did I set out to fleece The New York Times. I feel very strongly about sexual harassment by those in positions of power, and for the sake of equality in the workplace and women’s rights, I simply had to speak out. As it turned out, the testimonies of the other women went as well as mine did. I recently learned that The New York Times won the arbitration and Bob’s $2.5 million suit was thrown out. Once again I am proud to be a woman and I am so thrilled to have played a part in the fascinating process that enabled a prestigious company to maintain its integrity and uphold justice. I passionately encourage women who’ve been sexually harassed on the job or in a job interview to speak out. Only by doing so can we effect proper social change. Yes, the system does work. And yes, “one small woman” can make a big difference. Dr. Nancy B. Irwin nancyirwin(bleep)earthlink.net www.drnancyirwin.com Thanks to Dr. Irwin for sharing this inspirational narrative with us. It is encouraging not only that she had the courage to keep looking for closure, and could find a lawyer who would take her case, but that the perpetrator’s employer took the matter seriously ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bullied at Pharmaceutical Company ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My story is a classic. I worked in a non-traditional field with a large Pharmaceutical Company for 13 years. My direct supervisor bullied me for 2 yrs. Another co-worker sexual harassed me. I went to the company for help and they did an investigation. It proved to be true on the sexual harassment. They never would admit to the supervisors actions. I asked them to please move me in another area. They refused, they made my working environment unbearable. I hired an attorney while I was still working for the company. After I filled with the EEOC, I was retaliated against. Six months later I was fired for poor performance. Shortly after that my attorney disappeared. The Disciplinary Commission found that he abandoned his practice and clients. The company is trying to enforce a small settlement that my attorney agreed to without my permission. I am waiting for the judge to rule against this so I can move forward with my case. One big problem I have. No attorney wants to take my case the way it was left. So now this is were I stand - Up against a major corporation - the largest in my city. No attorney. No job. I was the only single parent in my group. I lost my husband to cancer. My case hits on every aspect of injustice. If I lose, this is a slap in the face to all women, again. Teresa Fusco teresaf229(bleep)yahoo.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Review — Anna Salter’s Novels ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I have recently read several fictional novels written by Anna Salter, Ph.D., who more recently wrote Predators: Pedophiles, Rapists, and Other Sex Offenders. Her paperback novels follow the life and practice of "forensic psychologist Michael Stone." (See http://www.annasalter.com) I was able to read each novel without being seriously triggered, partly because Salter kept the details of child sexual molestations to a minimum. In each novel, she described what it is like to work with both victims and perpetrators of various forms of sexual abuse. She also provided interesting insights into the mindset and behaviors of the FMSF in general, and several of its most outspoken members who have regularly testified for the defense in court. (Anyone who has been tracking these individuals will recognize them in the books - what Salter had to say about them made my week.) I also felt empowered while reading the novels, because the heroine is a real fighter and isn't afraid to confront perps to their faces, even while she works hard to maintain her professionalism, ethics, and objectivity. I think these novels - Shiny Water, Fault Lines, White Lies and Prison Blues - could be very useful tools in teaching people about child sexual abuse and pedophilia. Because the books are fictional, they can provide readers a safe emotional distance while also giving them the opportunity to learn about the mindset, behaviors, and manipulations of sexual predators more thoroughly than most people - other than survivors and mental health professionals - will ever have a chance to learn. I've benefited from the novels in other ways as well. For example: in Shiny Water, the story's heroine was working with a trauma survivor who had DID. A child alter-state drew pictures of childhood memories. Stone noticed that the pictures weren't drawn the way an actual, physical child would have, at that age, because the drawings were more sophisticated. This was a valuable insight for me. When some of my child alter-states first emerged in the past, although their drawings had childlike PERSPECTIVES, their artwork included details, etc. that would have been drawn by someone much older - although not an adult. This means that even though those child alter-states didn't have access to the part of my brain that held my life narrative memories, they did have limited access to other information stored in my brain, including the ability to draw pictures in a more detailed, adult-like way. I would like to thank Dr. Salter for that new insight. It is helping me to understand and appreciate my multiplicity in a whole new way. Another insight I gleaned from her novels is that it is not a good idea for dissociated survivors to confront perpetrators - especially family members - when they first remember. I have always put myself down because, 15 years ago, I sensed I would crumble if I testified against my father. (He was being prosecuted for the sexual molestation of several children.) Although I knew I was too fragile, I kept the knowledge to myself because the assistant DA repeatedly insisted that I could successfully stand against my father in court. What the man didn't understand, or didn't want to understand, was that it was way too soon for me to attempt to testify against my father. Now I can forgive myself for having been fragile, because what I had experienced was the norm for a dissociated trauma survivor in her first stage of recovery. Kathleen Sullivan KathleenASullivan(bleep)comcast.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Review — Foul Ball by Jim Bouton ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last summer, when I was weeding in the flower bed, I noticed a huge black spider a few feet in front of me. It had a very hairy body and beautiful green stripes on its back. Normally, I detest spiders, but this one was, for one thing, not in my bed, but had a web in some weeds. I observed it as I weeded, marveling at his size and brilliant color. The next day it was gone, probably frightened by how close I was to it. I few years ago, I had the same experience with an enormous lime-green caterpillar in the dill. I normally don’t care for caterpillars, either, but this one had such a brilliant neon-green color, I left him eating the dill. That is how I feel about Jim Bouton, author of Foul Ball. I normally don’t care much for athletes, I was sickly as a child, and injured myself with a sprained ankle or finger or got hit in the face every time I played sports. Not only that, but I suffered through 3 years of Mr. Evans home room in high school. He was a coach, and all the jocks in school were in it. They tortured and tormented me and the only other girl in that home room. I have an instinctive dislike for athletes, but not for Jim Bouton. I found out about his book, Foul Ball watching Now with Bill Moyer on PBS, where he was interviewed. As a former New York Yankees pitcher, he was or had been involved in trying to restore an old ball park, Wahconah Park, in Pittsfield, MA. He had been at odds with local politicians who wanted to tear it down and build a new arena for millions of tax dollars. Jim and his two partners, Chip Elizer and Eric Margenau, wanted to lease the park, restore it, and bring in a minor league team, at no cost to the tax payers. He ran into a political fire wall, all too familiar to women who have filed sexual harassment complaints. The only daily paper was owned by an out of state conglomerate, and had contacts with the managers of the team then using the park, GE, the local bank, the local law firm, the local mayor and his staff, as well as the minor league management. All but the citizens of Pittsfield, who did not want to pay for an arena, but wanted the historical ball park restored. I kept telling myself as I read, that this was more than a story about baseball, it was a story about how the media and politicians work to manipulate people, including victims of sexual harassment. I kept hoping for an Erin Brokovitch kind of ending. There was even proof brought forward that GE, a previous Pittsfield employer, had buried PCBs on the property where they wanted to build a new arena, which, it turns out, would cover up decades of toxic waste in the baseball field and under the bleachers. If they had built an arts complex on the property, as Bouton and his partners suggested, digging for footings would have turned up the dump, and cost the citizens of Pittsfield millions to clean up had they accepted. Anyone who is frustrated because they can’t get the media to cover a story that would embarrass those in power should read Foul Ball. It describes how the establishment protects itself with inside deals, season tickets, jobs for their children and outright blackmail and hush money. As a final insult, the publisher that had given Bouton an advance and agreed to publish Foul Ball, Public Affairs, told him he would have to remove all references to GE before it was published, as a GE executive had joined their board of directors. He subsequently returned the advance (they offered to let him keep half of it if he would not tell why they were not publishing the book) and self-published the book. After reading this book, I realize that there must be more to baseball than idiots with painted bodies rioting over an umpire’s call they don’t like and over-paid jocks exploiting teenaged groupies and being sued for child support. Reading Foul Ball was a “good news”/”bad news” experience. The good news is that Jim Bouton came to the same conclusions I had come to about how the system works (confirming what I have been saying) and the bad news is that Jim Bouton came to the same conclusions I had come to about how the system works (I am really sorry that I am not wrong). From the dedication page: “Like me, you could . . . Be unfortunate enough to stumble upon a silent war. The trouble is that once you see it, you can’t unsee it. And once you’ve seen it, keeping quiet, saying nothing, becomes as political an act as speaking out. Either way, you’re accountable.” Arundhati Roy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Book Review — Media Control by Norm Chomsky ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Media Control by Norm Chomsky, Seven Stories Press, 1991. This 58 page pamphlet describes how the media is used to control and manipulate the thinking of the public, from the control of information (or propaganda) to the waging of wars to distract the public from becoming politically involved. It details the destruction of the labor unions as a voice of working people, also the falsifying of history and selective representations of facts. The fear that the government has for independent individuals is a major component to this presentation. A section is devoted to how the government has in the past and continues to manufacture enemies to fight in order to manufacture unanimity in the population (Weapons of mass destruction, chemical and biological weapons and atomic weapons are not mentioned, it was published before the invasion of Iraq) That the way the system works has a huge impact on victims of sexual harassment goes without saying; When a victim files a sexual harassment complaint, she falls into the category of being an independent individual. Do I support our military personnel? Of course. My father fought in the Army during WWI, two brothers were in the Navy during WWII, and I was in the Navy during the Korean conflict. But I don’t believe that they should be put in harms way so George Bush can get reelected. If that is all that is behind his lies about the reasons for attacking Iraq, then I think that a lot of people should think long and hard before voting. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ National Stories ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The server go.com has had a banner for children, “Don’t let a friend get bullied.” and a link to www.mcgruff.com. Dateline on 1/23/04 had a story about sex tourism, especially in Cambodia. Child predators go there. The Bush administration is trying to stop this. A Doctor from Oklahoma visited several times a year, says he is a tourist, but he goes to a night club where young girls can be bought. At a village outside Pnom Phen, girls as young as 5 can be bought, child prostitutes are common there. I hate to fault the Bush administration when they are doing anything I agree with, but I suspect this is a red herring to call attention away from the fact that he has done nothing since coming to office but erode women’s rights. A couple of misplaced notes have surfaced, one about a Dateline from 7/11, about a man named Henry Davis who ran teenaged sex rings in the Midwest under the cover of selling jewelry. The girls were held as sex slaves, some escaped and told there stories. He may spend the rest of his life in jail. The June 29, 2003 Law and Order Crime and Punishment was about intimate abuse. August 1, 2003 48 Hours was about Sandra Orreana, who died after a fall from an 8th floor balcony. Robert Salizar, her boss, is accused of pushing her although he claimed she fell. She told friends she was afraid of him, She worked for him and according to friends, he was harassing her. His first story was that she had committed suicide, but then they found his shorts and a shoe in her hotel room. He admitted having sex with her. Police thought she had passed out on the bed, and when he started making advances towards her, she woke up and started fighting him, so he threw her off the balcony. He then tried to create an alibi by calling her to leave “wake up” calls. He had a scratch between his eyes thought to have been made when she fought him. This happened in LA, the police were afraid to prosecute him because they had just lost the O. J. Simpson case. He was finally charged 4 years later. He still claims he was innocent, and that he never harassed Orreana, though her sister Olga claims she talked to her about it. Unfortunately, the jury found him not guilty. CBS Evening News on 12/10/2003 had a story about a plan to stop bullying before it starts in school. They said studies show what 30% of students are either bullied or are bullies. A method of preventing bullying has been developed in Europe that is effective. They said that all infractions should be reported so adults can intervene. February 7, 2004 CSI Miami had a story that involved a number of women who are abused, including sexual harasser, a serial rapist/murderer, and a spouse abuser. Dateline NBC on February 8, 2004 had a story about an elderly retired grandfather who was kidnapping girls and women (14 to 52 years old) and holding them in a dungeon he built beside his home in a suburb of Rochester, NY. In all, he kidnapped 5 different women and held them up to 3 years. The first, a 14 year old, never talked because he threatened to kill her family if she did. The second did complain to police in spite of his threats, but the story was so fantastic, that they did not believe it was credible. Finally, the last woman he had kidnapped walked away from him in a public place and police believed her. Police found video tapes he made of all of the women in his home, so they were able to locate the other three women, none of whom had complained. The dungeon could only be reached by crawling through a tunnel, and had only a bucket for a toilet and a basin for washing in. He kept them chained with shackles around their ankles. What is especially interesting about this story is that his excuse was that his wife had died of an illness. He claimed that he never hurt any of them (all said they were raped daily). He is serving a life sentence in prison, and claims that all five women lied about his treatment of them. CBS Evening News, February, 2004, reported that 38 female soldiers have been reported as having been raped by male soldiers in Iraq. It is thought that more rapes have been reported to civilian authorities. Just about the most ludicrous sexual harassment scenario ever seen on any TV program was on CSI on January 29, 2004 on CBS. Two different women who have filed sexual harassment complaints against two different men exchange the murder of the other’s harasser. It is so far from the normal situation and actions of sexual harassment victims as to qualify as character assassination. I would be even harder on the writers, but they have a number of women on the series who demonstrate lots of competence and are outspoken. I suppose the conclusion should be that competent, outspoken women will be admired if they never file sexual harassment complaints. After all that, we are treated to Grissom quoting Freud as having said that no sex is perverse, only not having sex is perverse. From that we should assume that the priests who did not molest children are perverse and the ones who did are not. Further, rape, pedophilia, incest and, ah yes, sexual harassment, are not perverse. My own opinion of Simund Freud is that the only other person in the history of civilization who has had a more negative impact on our society was his compatriot, Adolf Hitler. One PBS special several years ago discussed his work with women an hysteria. When a colleague suggested that women were hysterical because they were abused and suppressed, and because they had so few opportunities to develop their potential, the colleague was black listed and never worked again in the psychiatric profession. I regret not remembering the colleague’s name or the specifics of the matter, I was a novice in the sexual harassment area at the time and did not recognize the value of that information, but it must be someplace in the literature, those who produced the story had access to it. And I used to like CSI. Mother Warrior’s Voice held Christmas caroling at various welfare agencies during the Christmas season, singing their own lyrics to well-known carols. From the Miles Foundation, the Personnel Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, February 25, 2004, 9:30 AM, 216 HART Senate Office Building, Washington, DC. The focus of the hearing will be sexual violence associated with the military. The hearing will feature two panels. Local Stories Again, a story that was misfiled, from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader of July 2, 2003, there are new laws passed by the South Dakota Legislature which help women who are victims of abuse recover afterwards. It brings SD into compliance with the 1994 Violence Against Women Act. SD Network Against Family Violence and the Children’s Inn in Sioux Falls were positive about the new law being useful. On November 18, 2003, a story on the KSFY 6:00 news was about Richard Winkelbauer, a bus driver from Hardington, NE who sexually attacked an 8 year old. They think he had molested 5—10 other children. On November 12, 2003, KSFY had a story about Gary Rosen of Hurley being arrested for trying to kidnap a 3 year old girl from a Sioux Falls Laundromat. Rosen is a convicted sex offender but was not registered. The mother saw her daughter in Rosen’s car and pounded on the rear window until he let her out. On November 13, 2003, KMEG in Sioux City had a story on the 10:00 news about the Merril, Iowa police chief being accused of sexually abusing a woman during a traffic stop, he has been replaced. 11/26/2003, KDLT news had a story about a man named Warbonnet having been accused of having sex with someone not able to give consent. KDLT News on 12/3/2003 had a story about Victor Neuroth breaking into a house in Sioux Falls in June and threatening a woman, found guilty on all counts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Finding Information About Legislation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If you want to find out information about Federal legislation under consideration, go to http://thomas.loc.gov/ and search on the designation for the bill. In the case of the S.A.F.E. act, either HR 3420 for the House version, or S 1801 for the Senate version. If the legislation has already passed and has become codified law, go to http://uscode.house.gov/usc.htm to find specific legislation. If you are stuck, contact your representative in the House or the Senate, depending where the legislation is. They have people who do nothing but supply information about the Federal Government for constituents. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The S.A.F.E. Act HR 3420, S 1801 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Several months ago, I got an action alert from NOW about this legislation before Congress intended to help victims of intimate abuse regain stability in their lives. The definition of Aggravated Sexual Abuse which is referred to, which comes from Title 18, Section 2241, includes the following: “whoever . . . causes another person to engage in a sexual act - “(1) by using force against that other person; or “(2) by threatening or placing that other person in fear that any person will be subjected to death, serious bodily injury, or kidnapping; or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both. “(b) By Other Means. - Whoever, in the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States or in a Federal prison, knowingly - “(1) renders another person unconscious and thereby engages in a sexual act with that other person; or “(2) administers to another person by force or threat of force, or without the knowledge or permission of that person, a drug, intoxicant, or other similar substance and thereby - “(A) substantially impairs the ability of that other person to appraise or control conduct; and “(B) engages in a sexual act with that other person; or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title, imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both.” It seems to me that some sexual harassment may already be covered by this U. S. Code, originally intended to help victims on campuses. What needs to be added is to include situations where the victim did not get a job, or she was fired from a job because she refused to provide sex to an employer, and the individual who did get the job or who replaced her when she was fired was a lesser qualified male or a lesser qualified woman who did provide sex for the employer, then she should qualify for help. Eliminating the position and creating a new one with a different title doing the same work would not be allowed. Since this legislation is funded, it could help women recover from an experience which often ends women’s careers and makes them welfare recipients. We would like to include women who did not get pay raises or promotions as well, some businesses being little more than whore houses. but job loss is a more compelling disaster for victims. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Some Interesting New Links ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Victims Network http://www.eharassment.ca Networks to help women find housing with other women http://www.bandofwomen.org www.craigslist.org Human Rights Caucus in the US House of Representatives Tom Lantos, D-CA Frank R. Wolf, R-VA are co-Chairmen legislative assistants are David Dettoni (202-225-5136) and Hans Hogref (202-225-3531). SAGE Publications is providing FREE electronic access to all SAGE journals including special editions of the journal, Violence Against Women. http://www.sagepublications.com/freeaccess ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 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. Go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/WomenAgainstSexualHarassmentNational to sign up for a free e-mail subscription to the W.A.S.H. 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