By Chantal Barlow
A couple weeks ago, I stopped by a store to pick up some groceries. In the five minutes I was there, a young male employee continuously harassed me by saying things such as “Mmm sexy” or “Ohhh gorgeous” as he followed me around the store. He moved to work the register when he saw me in line, again referring to me as “sexy” in a very inappropriate manner. I left the store shaken.
Following a tweet I made about my frustration about not being able to go into a store for five minutes without being sexually harassed, multiple women messaged me; they had also been harassed there. I reported the event to store management, but they did nothing. I then tweeted a poll asking my followers to answer yes or no to the question of whether they had been harassed there. Thirty-seven people answered; 12 said yes. I tweeted again, tagging the store, informing them that I would not stop making noise. The store management finally called and gave a reason for why they had failed to respond earlier. I still do not know if I believe it.
I struggled for a while, thinking that I was making too big a deal of this, but soon I realized that just because these experiences have been smaller sexual harassment cases, that does not mean that something worse could not happen. The man who sexually harasses so many women is not someone I want meeting my friends or little sisters. If he is capable of continuously sexually harassing people who walk into his place of employment, what else could he be capable of? Sexual harassment and assault are reprehensible, and people who do these things should not be allowed to get away with just a slap on the wrist.
The next day I, along with another accuser, reported our stories to the police. According to the detective, while an official report cannot be made for sexual harassment, it is still documented; if the same person harasses you more than once or threatens you in any way, an official report can be made.
According to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, “nearly two-thirds of college students experience sexual harassment.” This is not including the 20-25 percent of female students and 15 percent of male students who are sexually assaulted. If you are sexually harassed, you have the legal right to report it. If it happens on campus, immediately call Asbury Security at 859-858-3511, ext. 0. If it happens off campus in Wilmore, call 859-858-3535, or in a more life-threatening or serious situation, call 911. If you are off campus and not in Wilmore, call the local police or 911. In cases of sexual assault, a report will be made. By reporting these events, you are not only helping yourself — you are helping everyone.
