This year, I became one of the many women who leave their jobs because of sexual harassment. I always knew it was something that happened; I just didn’t think it would happen to me.

I’m not alone; reports have found that 60% of women say they experience “unwanted sexual attention, sexual coercion, sexually crude conduct, or sexist comments” in the workplace. It’s a scary and isolating experience, and deciding what to do about it is difficult. After it happened, I did everything “right.” I didn’t wait, I went directly to my HR representative, and I told the truth. It didn’t matter that I followed protocol; they still didn’t do anything about it. 

The fact that I reported my harassment already puts me in the minority. It’s estimated that 90% of people who are harassed at work never report it, for a variety of reasons. Some workers are undocumented and face the threat of deportation if they come forward, something their abusers know and exploit. Others are afraid of retaliation — a very real fear. 71% of people who report their harassment to The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunities Commission also report retaliation. Others simply don’t think they’ll be believed. Every day, women are forced into a situation where they must continue working with their harasser.

I continued working with the man who harassed me for six months. I would hide in the bathroom during downtimes on my shift so that I wouldn’t have to see him. My income went down as I gave shifts away on days I knew he would be working. Eventually, I was able to switch around my hours to avoid him, but even then, I never felt safe at work again. I knew that if anything happened to me, I would not be taken seriously.

So, I quit. But not until I found a new job, which took months, and not without taking a pretty significant pay cut. Again, this is a tragically common occurrence. For many, sexual harassment leads to not only to a decline in mental health, but significant financial stress. One study found that as many as 8 in 10 women who experience sexual harassment leave their job within two years. For some, this means leaving a job before a new one is found and facing the economic hardship of unemployment. For others, this means abandoning well-paying jobs or leaving their field altogether, limiting opportunities for career advancement or tenure. 

It’s also important to note that women of color are disproportionately affected by this. Already, women of color are presumed to be less competent no matter their qualifications. This negatively impacts their potential for professional advancement on top of all the impacts that sexual harassment has on their careers. The power imbalances between women of color and white bosses put them at an even greater risk. In 2016, black women reported harassment at 3.8 times the rate of white women. We know that most women never report their harassment, so it’s likely that the real numbers are much higher.

I paint a bleak picture, I know, but it’s important to understand that this is still happening and that despite all the progress that’s been made, too many employers still don’t take it seriously. It’s important to keep talking about the harassment we face, to continue to speak out against it and not let our stories be ignored or brushed aside. I want to talk about what happened to me because it wasn’t fair. It shouldn’t have happened and I won’t stop shouting until something changes. My story is not unique. I am not alone. And neither are you.  

Additional Information and Resources 

What it’s like to return to work after being sexually harassed

Guide for potential ways to respond if you’re being sexually harassed at work 

Racial disparities in sexual harassment statistics 

More information about workplace sexual harassment 

As we enter into the 2019-2020 school year, we are excited to introduce you to the brilliant, creative, and driven UMBC students working in the Women’s Center! Please take a minute or two to read through some short bios below, and hopefully, you’ll be able to meet and make friends with each one of these lovely folks working with us over the school year. Kaitlyn Kylus, Social Work, she/her

Hello! My name is Kaitlyn and I’m a junior this year. I’m majoring in Social Work with a minor in Psychology, and I’m super excited to be working at the Women’s Center this year. I can’t wait to meet you all!

Kay Hinderlie, Psychology, they/them

Hi folks! I’m Kay, and I’m a senior at UMBC. I am pursuing a BA in Psychology with a minor in Gender and Women’s Studies. When I’m not in the Women’s Center or in classes, you would probably find me watching cartoons or taking napping. I love trying new things! I’ve taken up playing video games and listening to podcasts less than a year ago. If you see me around, please feel free to say hi!

Morgan Mullings, Media and Communication Studies, she/her and they/them

Hi! My name is Morgan and I’m a senior here at UMBC pursuing a BA in Media and Communications major with minors in English and Cinematic Arts. I am a poet, photographer, and aspiring filmmaker and most of my work stems from my own identity and experiences as a woman of color. If I’m not working at the Women’s Center you can find me watching Ghost Shark (2013) with my friends. I am also a huge stationary nerd and I worked at commonvision so ask me any question about a piece of paper.

If I could be any mythical creature it would be a unicorn that only speaks in quotes about intersectional feminism.

Sam Hertl, Social Work, they/them

Hello! My name is Sam and I’m a Social Work major with a Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies minor at UMBC. I’ll be working in the Women’s Center this year to fulfill my senior year Social Work Field Placement. I’ll be helping facilitate the discussion groups Between Women and We Believe You. I am passionate about advancing gender equity especially with a focus on the trans and genderqueer community. I’m looking forward to the connections I will be making and the knowledge that I’ll gain while a part of the Women’s Center community!

Additionally, I’m a big animal person (please show me pictures of your pets)! I’m an RA on campus, an aries, an artist, and an activist. Feel free to chat with me anytime!

Gabrielle Franks is a Linehan Scholar and URA award recipient who is majoring in Music Technology ('20).

Title of your research project: Producing an Extended Play Compact Disc (EP) Release: A Multinational Collaboration

Describe your project: My project proposal is to do research on how music is written and marketed to venues and radio stations via the internships I’ll be participating in over the summer, and then how an EP is recorded/produced, and how music marketing differs in the UK from the US at Newcastle in the Fall of 2019. I will additionally create a concise outline as to what the foundational steps are for releasing an EP (with little to no help from outside sources, like marketing agencies, record labels, etc). I’ll have an exhibition of this EP at some sort of reception - could be a senior recital, where the EP is performed live, or just at a reception of some sort outside of school.

Who is your mentor(s) for your project? Alan Wonneberger, Music Technology

How did you find your mentor? Why did you choose them? Alan is the head of my major department, so I figured it was my best choice to have him aid my research project.

How did you become interested in this project? I have been writing and recording music since I was quite young, and thought it would be really special to conduct a research project about it! Considering Spring 2020 will be my last semester at UMBC, I wanted to make my mark on the community, and explore the world of creating and marketing music. 

What has been the hardest part about your research/what was the most unexpected thing about being a researcher? Documenting all of my experience so far has probably been the most difficult aspect of it. I didn't fully expect how time consuming writing everything down and remembering to take pictures/videos of my experience would be.

What has been the most rewarding part? Being able to see and hear my own progress on this project is extremely rewarding. From recording demos of songs I'd written back in January 2019, to beginning the recording process with scratch tracks now in September, is really exciting - I'm looking forward to having a completed project by the time April 2020 rolls around. Time has flown!

How will you disseminate your research? I plan to orally present my research at URCAD 2020, and am also considering having a senior exhibition next Spring.

What is your advice to other students about getting involved in research? Find research that you're passionate about - making, recording and promoting my own music is what I enjoy doing, and have done for a long time. Doing what you love makes getting all the work involved done much easier.

What are your career goals? 

After graduating in Spring 2020, I plan to continue my career in Radio Broadcasting/Music Programming.I also plan on pursuing a career in music by touring and performing.

Check out the other exciting undergraduate research 

projects by URA Scholars: https://ur.umbc.edu/ura/current-scholars/