Foreword

I have worked in the trades since 1979. I had profound satisfaction in performing my job, but there were many days I dreaded coming in--just because of having to deal with the antics of a bunch of sexist pigs. And it didn't get any better over the years--just much more enigmatic!



Besides outright "quid pro quo" sexual harassment, I have had to deal with discriminatory behavior by superiors and co-workers alike. And if that wasn't enough in and of itself, besides many other incidents, I have been threatened, been struck, been set up to be electrically shocked, and had a pipe bomb blown up 20 feet away from me.



Currently I am on disability because of a job-related accident which resulted in head trauma and injuries to my spinal cord, neck, back and arm. My doctors have told me that I will not be able to return to this type of work.



This accident happened in 2000. I am still experiencing post concussion sequelae that makes it difficult to think as clearly or quickly as I once had. The nerves leading from my spinal cord to my right arm and hand experienced extreme pain in movement for about a year after that accident. And while the extreme pain in that arm has subsided with physical therapy, the vertebral injury to my neck is now progressing to cause numbness in two of the fingers of both hands. I experience constant pain to one degree or another in both my neck and lower back. This pain has kept me fairly immobilized unless I use pain medication. Physical therapy, chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture have helped defray some of this pain, but it only offers temporary relief.



Pain has clouded my mind and made it difficult to sleep; loss of sleep creates more pain. It's a vicious cycle which I have been trying to combat for almost eight years now. It's been very depressing--especially since I was a very active person before this accident--doing such things as backpacking, kiyaking, and roofing friends' houses.



To complicate this situation even more, my current employer, the University of Illinois, has yet to pay one penny in workers compensation benefits. I have had to pay for all of my medical expenses--which have been considerable. I have been run into financial ruin because of it. And had it not been for the generosity of friends, I would have been homeless.



The situation, in fact, had become ludicrous because in a recent legal brief, the University of Illinois, acknowledges that a job-related accident did, indeed, occur and that they are responsible.



According to sworn depositional testimony by Sandy Thoner (Physical Plant, Human Resources Director) in my Federal Sexual Harassment Suit against the University of Illinois, the University of Illinois is the largest employer in Chicago.



As such, they basically thumb their nose at anyone who would try to put a chink in their armour. They believe they are beyond reproach--essentially a dictator whom no one can question--and if one does, then woe be to him (or her).



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The thought of living like this for the rest of my life was an unbearable thought. It caused a depression which turned me to watching senseless TV and playing video games to avoid the reality of my situation.



I was bored. I thought, "Is that all there is?"



I felt that these last eight years since the accident have been wasted. What did I accomplish? Nothing.



Since about 1994 I had been wanting to write a book about my sexual harassment experiences and start an organization to help others who have been discriminated against. Up until 2000, I was still fighting my sexual harassment battle--it took up all of my time. Then the "accident" happened, and I have been recovering from that ever since.



Recently, I realized that I have been in "limbo" for way too long. I have been depressed about my situation. I had fallen down a deep hole and didn't have the focus or energy to figure out how to climb out. I thought, "It would be horrible to die without sharing my experience with others. I don't want to let all that experience be buried with me! Somehow I must be able to put my tenative words to paper--or my life will have been a waste."



One of my longtime friends who has seen me go though it all, recently stated, "Why would you want to try to start an organization to help people when you can't even help yourself!"



I knew where she was coming from. She didn't want to see me disappointed anymore, but she did want to see me put my energy into something that had a bigger shot of succeeding.



I thought about that comment and questioned myself, "With all my deficiencies since the accident, do I actually have the ability to succeed in an area that I think was meant to be my life's work?"



I doubted my current abilities. I doubted that I had the energy and resources to follow through. I even started thinking that I didn't have anything to offer anyone--I couldn't even help myself.



I finally talked these ideas over with my therapist. I asked her point blank if I was fooling myself. Do I actually have anything to offer anyone.



She told me this: "You have many things to offer and you can't use the legal system as a measure of validity of anything. It is very flawed. That is why it is important to get your story out there and start finding people who could benefit from your experience."



Her assessment of my situation is why I am starting this blog. Even if I manage to do nothing else in my life than this, at least I will feel that I have tried to share my experiences with the world. People can take them or leave them. But, even if only one person reads this and finds something useful for them, then my struggles to make this world a better place will not have been in vain.



I am hoping for more than that though because I am an extreme optimist. I really hope that society will read this as one of the millions of stories of its kind and see that we cannot put up with employers who flaunt the law--employers who think they can get around the law.



The problem is multi-dimensional. While we do have laws about employment discrimination, many times such abuses are not reported. When they are reported, the victims are encouraged to drop the case and/or the employer steps up discrimination and abuse. And when they finally are prosecuted, the judges are biased for employers and either give the employer a mere slap on the wrist or let the lawbreakers off completely.



Employers continually break the law because they know they can. I want to see our legal system turn around. However, wishing won't make it so. Each person needs to stop being afraid to prosecute the perpetrator. This can only happen when there is a support system for the person whose rights have been abused. I offer my support to you. Please feel free to contact me about your situation and/or offer comments.