I am a survivor of workplace sexual harassment
I hesitate to talk about it because other people have seen worse
I don't like to think about sexual harassment
But if I don't talk about it, then it turns into a curse.
I hate talk about it because it causes so much pain
It makes me angry and it makes me sad.
I hope no one ever does that again
I feel like crying when I should tell you I'm mad.
I'm mad because the system allows teachers to have their way, have a say and get away with abuse.
Gives them authority over other educators that they can use.
At their discretion, they tell you what to do.
Because the system makes us vulnerable to being in conflict ...
Because assistants don't have clear job descriptions in education
They're responsible for everything and get credit for nothing in this situation
I want to tell you that the working situation is bad.
Because it breeds conflict and I know because I have
To deal with the fights and toxic language
People throw at me at work
I wish they weren't such jerks
This harassment happened from 2014 to 2017.
This happened because I was nice and someone else was mean.
She would touch me from behind or the side, or on my head.
I never encouraged her, there was nothing that I said.
I told her I was married and that I loved my wife
There was nothing that could be interpreted as me wanting to be in intimacy with the teacher working with me.
She used her role as "supervisor" to gain access to me.
She used workplace discussions as an excuse to get close to me.
She would stand close and nuzzle up against me like she was my date.
I edged away from her a few inches because she was not my mate.
And then she got shoulder to shoulder with me again two more times.
All while pretending to be interested in my ongoing observation of a student at recess.
When it first filed my complaint and told all my coworkers
They understood because they had met her
Even the principals knew how mean she was.
I no longer was assigned to her classroom. And she still found ways to get in my space.
So I got a no contact order at work when I filed the complaint.
When a Teacher Sexually Harasses a Paraeducator,
Then the Teacher Gets Away With It.
Teachers can yell and scream and lose control
And teaching assistants pay the toll.
Greg Spence Wolf (*6)