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Introduction to the History of Sexual Harassment
Over the years, many individuals have suffered from sexual harassment. Sexual harassment has gained recognition as a result of brave individuals standing up for their rights and sharing their stories. The current Me Too Movement has played a large role in educating individuals on the causes, effects, and seriousness of sexual harassment. This timeline will look back at key figures as well at current individuals who are making a difference to promote awareness and prevent sexual harassment. -
Title VII of Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Title VII of the Civil Rights Act is a federal law which prevents employers from discriminating against their employees because of their race, color, sex, religion, class, or national origin. The law was originally meant to defend women in the workplace, however, it protects both men and women.
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Carmita Dickerson Wood
Carmita had a fantastic job at Cornell's nuclear lab. However, her boss began to make sexual comments, force her body against his, and humiliate her in front of coworkers. Eventually, Carmita resigned and after applying for unemployment benefits, the Department of Labor rejected her claim, stating she quit due to "personal non-compelling reasons." Carmita joined forces with other women and formed "Working Women United." Together these women created and defined the term "sexual harassment."
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Mechelle Vinson
Vinson was an African American woman working at the Federal Savings Bank in Washington when she filed a lawsuit against her supervisor for sexual harassment. She was fired due to the lawsuit as it was the first case of its kind to reach Supreme Court. In 1980, the district judge ruled against her stating sexual harassment is unliked discrimination cases. However, after a reversed decision the court ruled that sexual harassment violates federal laws that prohibit discrimination.
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Catharine MacKinnon
Catharine MacKinnon is an activist against sexual harassment and anti-pornography. She has helped in naming and distinguishing between the two forms of harassment, including "hostile working environment" where an individual is uncomfortable due to discrimination and "quid pro quo" where career advances are proposed in exchange for sex. Catharine claims sexual harassment is a form of discrimination. Additionally, she published her own book, Sexual Harassment of Working Women.
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Joseph Oncale
Joseph Oncale worked on an offshore oil rig with a male boss and co-works when he was being sexually harassed. He put in a complaint to an official of the company he worked at, stating threats of rape, however, nothing was done. After being sexually assaulted, he quit his job and filed a sexual harassment lawsuit. The court dropped his case saying a man harassed by men cannot rely on a law that was created to protect women from men. However, the court reversed the decision and Oncale won.
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Anita Hill
Anita Hill is an African American woman who worked at the Office of Civil Rights for Clarence Thomas. During Thomas's confirmation hearings to be a Supreme Court judge, Hill accused him of sexual harassment, stating Thomas made sexual comments towards Hill discussing rape, pornography, and his own sexual prowess. Hill's comments leaked to reporters and the whole nation heard about these allegations. However, Thomas denied these accusations and in the end, he became a judge.
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Teresa Harris
Teresa Harris filed a suit against her employer at Forklift Systems Inc. claiming she had been sexually harassed under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Teresa stated that her boss would make statments questioning her intelligence due to her sex. However, her boss argued that the harassments were not severe enough to affect Teresa psychology or disrupt her ability to work. The court agreed with her boss, stating that the harassment was not enough to create an abusive work environment.
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The Violence Against Women Act of 1994
The Violence Against Women Act is a federal legislation that restricts violence against women and helps protect women who have suffered from abuse. This law called attention to sexual assault. It also allocates federal funds to help victims of sexual violence, harassment, and assault. Additionally, the funds were to be used to support and ensure that victims are able to pay for a fair trial against their aggressor, employer, or rapist.
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Beth Ann Faragher
Beth Fargher resigned from lifeguarding after she told the City of Boca Raton that she was sexually assaulted by her supervisors who created a hostile work environment for her by making sexual comments and touching her. The court stated that the city would be held liable for neglecting the harassment and failing to prevent it from happening. Employers will be liable for sexual harassment by their employees, however, the employer can defend theirself by proving they tried to prevent it.
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Roderick Jackson
Roderick as a high school basketball coach stated he got fired because he complained that the girl's basketball coach did not get equal treatment by the school. Roderick sued the Birmingham Board of Education claiming by firing him they violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. He claimed he suffered from sex discrimination, however, the court ruled in favor of Roderick. This case proved that it is illegal to punish someone for reporting discrimination or sexual harassment.
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Tarana Burke
Tarana Burke is an African American woman and an activist for sexually assaulted women. After speaking to a young sexually abused girl, Burke was left heartbroken. Ten years later after searching for a way to help, Burke created the Just Be Inc, which is a nonprofit that supports victims of sexual assault and harassment. The movement she was hoping to create by supporting these woman has been given the name, Me Too.
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"Me Too" Goes Viral
Actress Alyssa Milano tweeted "If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote 'Me too.' as a status, we might have people a sense of the magnitude of the problem." In only a few hours, more than 25,000 people responded with the hashtag "me too" including Milano herself. This event allowed thousands of women to support each other and tell their own story. The "Me Too" phrase was created by Tarana Burke, however, Milano helped spread the idea.
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Kesha Sebert
Pop star Kesha filed a lawsuit against her music producer, Dr. Luke, claiming he physically, verbally, sexually, and emotionally abused her to the point where she almost lost her life. Kesha wanted to void her contracts with him as she claims he has complete control over her career and life. However, the judge denied these alleges of sexual assault, harassment, and gender violence. The judge said there was no evidence to support her argument that the agreements were not entered into freely.
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Ashley Judd
Ashley Judd is an actress, along with being an activist for sexually harassed women. Ashley was one of the first women to speak publicly about director Harvey Weinstein sexually harassing her. She reported it initially in The New York Time's and later on filed a lawsuit against him for defamation and sexual harassment. The suit claims that Weinstein was the reason Judd lost acting roles in films and damaged her reputation limiting her in finding work.
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President Donald Trump
In 2017, more than 15 women have come forward and spoke about their sexual encounter with President Donald Trump. These women are upset that dozens of men have lost their power due to alleged sexual misconducts, however, allegations regarding Trump have not had the same effect. The women sexual assaulted and harassed by Trump shared their stories following the Me Too Movement providing detailed descriptions including dates and sexual content. However, Trump denies all of these allegations.
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