Sexual Harassment Stories and Experiences

Innocence Lost, California    

     I worked at a fast food restaurant at the age of 17.  I was always the young girl who was fun and innocent.  My friends and even my manager called me “the little angel” because I was so pure… undefiled.  They would tease me, telling me that they would give me a 100 dollars if I just kissed one of the guys.  Of course, that didn’t happen. 

     Soon, I became a shift manager.

     There was a guy tho who started working there.   (Tony) was about 24 or 25, at the time.  At first, like everyone else, I got a long with him great.    

     But one day, I was with Tony and his friend in the back preparing the food.  I went the break room to get ready to leave.  I was sitting down when Tony came in after me.  He sat next  to me, then reached out and cupped my right breast. 

     I quickly jerked, I had no idea what he was doing. 

     I told him to stop, that I didn’t like that.  I went home that day and cried myself to sleep.  No one had ever done that before.  I felt so ashamed and so violated. 

     On other different occasions, he would come to the back of the room and pinch my butt, or put his hand on my thigh and trace it upward. 

     I felt so dirty… I didn’t even understand what was happening.

     Finally, the last occasion was when I went into the freezer to get something, Tony came after me.  His friends locked the door from outside and turned off the light.  I felt Tony’s hands on my butt, he pinched it.

     I screamed and yelled for them to open the door.  

     After that, I went to my manager.  I asked what is “harassment.”  I felt so stupid and ashamed to even ask or talk about it, but I couldn’t take it anymore.  She made me write what I had told her.  In the end, they merely changed my schedule so I didn’t have to work with him. 

     I later left the job. 

     To be honest, that has crushed my trust in men.  I always feel awkward and nervous around any guy.  But I believe that God heals … I thank God that ended where it did.

This entry was posted on Friday, December 21st, 2007 at 1:30 pm and is filed under Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, Effects of Sexual Harassment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.