(no subject)
September 13, 2007
I am writing to report several incidents of sexual harassment which has occurred while at work at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. I do not know the last name of this person, only that his first name is Mark. I believe Human Resources knows of the person and can provide the last name for me.
The first was on Labor Day, Monday September 3, 2007. In the wash lab Mark came up to me and a coworker seemingly upset and made allusions to breaking up with a girlfriend. My coworker and I read his actions and words as symptoms of his distress, but in the context of the harassment that followed I believe it is appropriate to mention them here. Mark stood close enough to me to be touching (sides of our arms touched). It was very uncomfortable for me, and I stepped away, though couldn’t step too far since I was in a corner. Then he said something to the effect of “It’s a dangerous day to be a woman around me.” He left shortly. My coworker (who is also female) and I were not alarmed, though we agreed it was strange. We discussed his remarks later and didn’t think it was a real threat to two people he had just barely met.
Since then there have been occasions where he has cornered me in the literal sense and we have spoken, but other than a vague sense of “creepiness” and his continuing to stand too close for comfort, there had been no other concrete examples of sexual harassment.
This morning (Thursday, September 13, 2007), though, he cornered me again. I was walking down from the cabins where the interns are housed as he was leaving the back door of the kitchen. Seeing me he changed his course to intercept mine, and stood directly in my path, and again stood closer to me than is comfortable. He said “I heard you aren’t feeling well,” which is true, I had been feeling sick that morning and had been sleeping in my cabin. He continued, saying “I was thinking of going up there and getting into bed with you.” I was shocked, too shocked to tell him that he was crossing the line. Instead I replied that I wasn’t feeling well and needed to go sit down, hurrying around him down to the lodge.
Roughly an hour later, in the lodge he stood in my path again as I was headed out the door. He asked me if I was warm enough in my cabin. I said I was, and left as quickly as I could.
I have not, as of this writing, confronted Mark about his behavior, but should this happen again I will do so. I expect the harassment to stop after reporting these incidents to Human Resources, and telling Mark personally to stop.
a few days after I turned this in, they informed this guy that he was to be suspended 2 weeks without pay for the incident. though i was promised confidentiality, they told him the EXACT words i'd reported...so i'm pretty sure he could take a good guess at who reported him.
anyway, he's back at work today and it's awkward. i still have a little over a week and a half here, and avoidance isn't a very good solution. besides that, he could find me at anytime. he's already made pretty clear that he knows where i sleep in any case.
(oh, and there are no locks on the cabins. should i move to the hogans, there are no locks there. should i move to the lodge, he has a key.) gaa, days and days and days more of this.
I am writing to report several incidents of sexual harassment which has occurred while at work at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center. I do not know the last name of this person, only that his first name is Mark. I believe Human Resources knows of the person and can provide the last name for me.
The first was on Labor Day, Monday September 3, 2007. In the wash lab Mark came up to me and a coworker seemingly upset and made allusions to breaking up with a girlfriend. My coworker and I read his actions and words as symptoms of his distress, but in the context of the harassment that followed I believe it is appropriate to mention them here. Mark stood close enough to me to be touching (sides of our arms touched). It was very uncomfortable for me, and I stepped away, though couldn’t step too far since I was in a corner. Then he said something to the effect of “It’s a dangerous day to be a woman around me.” He left shortly. My coworker (who is also female) and I were not alarmed, though we agreed it was strange. We discussed his remarks later and didn’t think it was a real threat to two people he had just barely met.
Since then there have been occasions where he has cornered me in the literal sense and we have spoken, but other than a vague sense of “creepiness” and his continuing to stand too close for comfort, there had been no other concrete examples of sexual harassment.
This morning (Thursday, September 13, 2007), though, he cornered me again. I was walking down from the cabins where the interns are housed as he was leaving the back door of the kitchen. Seeing me he changed his course to intercept mine, and stood directly in my path, and again stood closer to me than is comfortable. He said “I heard you aren’t feeling well,” which is true, I had been feeling sick that morning and had been sleeping in my cabin. He continued, saying “I was thinking of going up there and getting into bed with you.” I was shocked, too shocked to tell him that he was crossing the line. Instead I replied that I wasn’t feeling well and needed to go sit down, hurrying around him down to the lodge.
Roughly an hour later, in the lodge he stood in my path again as I was headed out the door. He asked me if I was warm enough in my cabin. I said I was, and left as quickly as I could.
I have not, as of this writing, confronted Mark about his behavior, but should this happen again I will do so. I expect the harassment to stop after reporting these incidents to Human Resources, and telling Mark personally to stop.
a few days after I turned this in, they informed this guy that he was to be suspended 2 weeks without pay for the incident. though i was promised confidentiality, they told him the EXACT words i'd reported...so i'm pretty sure he could take a good guess at who reported him.
anyway, he's back at work today and it's awkward. i still have a little over a week and a half here, and avoidance isn't a very good solution. besides that, he could find me at anytime. he's already made pretty clear that he knows where i sleep in any case.
(oh, and there are no locks on the cabins. should i move to the hogans, there are no locks there. should i move to the lodge, he has a key.) gaa, days and days and days more of this.