In the wake of the Harvey Weinstein case, sexual harassment has been a common topic of discussion.
In many instances where a woman has been sexually harassed or assaulted, the public or even her friends may only find out about it after the fact. As a result, people are instinctively inclined not to believe these stories or suspect there is some ulterior motive at work. Still, this is a vicious cycle—is it not also true that people are less likely to speak up if they know nobody will believe them?
One story out of Whitehall, Pennsylvania shows this phenomenon in action.
It all started when a young woman named Emily Houser was only 16.
Houser had just gotten a waitressing job at a local Chili’s Grill & Bar. Although she was excited to get the job, the restaurant soon got a new manager, a 24-year-old man named Josh Davidson. Soon after she started working there, Davidson became interested in Houser despite her being underage. Houser explained her situation more thoroughly to reporters at Buzzfeed News:
“[The] new manager found particular interest in me and began forcing me to go on dates with him . . . He would just show up to my house uninvited and say he was outside and I had to come with him.”
Still, Davidson didn’t stop there.
Though Houser continued working there, she said that the harassment escalated over the course of two years. When she turned 18, things came to a head. According to Houser, Davidson showed up at her high school and tried to win her over with gifts, asking her to be his girlfriend in front of many of her friends. Though she kept saying no, he kept trying.
Eventually, Davidson became verbally abusive—and even physically coercive while the two were at work.
After some time, enough was enough and Houser reported Davidson to Chili’s corporate headquarters.
After her report, the company did an investigation and rather than firing Davidson, they transferred him to a location in Montgomery, Pennsylvania. Still, Davidson wasn’t done with his inappropriate behavior. On his last day at the Whitehall location, someone at the restaurant made a cake that read *F*** Emily Houser,” which the entire staff ate together.
The photos were even posted on social media.
After seeing the cake, Houser says she was shocked and upset.
“I didn’t know how to feel, except I just didn’t really feel anything,” Houser said, “and then I just started to cry.” Houser then followed up with the area director to report what had happened, emphasizing that what happened between her and Davidson was supposed to remain private and confidential. After much time, Chili’s decided to let Davidson go—along with all the people who participated in the party.
Without question, what Davidson did to Houser was inappropriate and wrong.
Houser was within her rights to report what had happened and continued to do so as she was wronged. Still, our instinct in these situations is to blame someone who was treated badly for seeking redress through the right channels. How do you think Houser and the Chili’s employees handled this situation? Let us know in the comments below.
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