INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Lauren Roberts and Caroline Ellert are sharing their story of sexual harassment by Thomas Cook to former Indianapolis Deputy Mayor Joe Hogsett. They hope their words will encourage other women with similar stories and show them they are not alone.
“I think once it happens to you, there’s no way to win, there’s just different ways to lose,” Ellert told News 8.
When a person experiences sexual harassment and assault, there is never a “right” way to deal with it, Roberts and Ellert said. However, there is one important thing that can help.
“I tell women it’s important to tell someone because I think there’s a lot of pressure on women to stand up for themselves and get out of this situation and that’s one of the hardest things you can do,” Ellert said. “You can’t do it without help, so we’re here to help and support you, whether it’s a friend, a coworker or a family member. It’s really important to find someone who you care about and who cares about you so you can tell them.”
Years later, the two are still working to recover from the abuse they suffered at the hands of Cook, they said.
Her goal is not only to inspire women by sharing their stories, but also to lay the foundation for change in how sexual harassment is handled within Indianapolis city government.
“It was the right thing to do,” Roberts said. “First, because it would help at least one other person, and that was worth it… I felt a responsibility that wasn’t mine, but it felt like a responsibility at the time to protect other women and people.”
Ellert outlined several common reasons why some women choose not to speak up. She said they may tend to downplay their own experiences by comparing them to those of others.
“I’ve heard that some people have experienced something similar, but they tell me it wasn’t that bad,” Ellert said. “I think my message to people is that any form of harassment is bad and that it gets worse if we keep allowing it to happen. We shouldn’t have to settle for anything less than a completely safe and fair workplace. We’re speaking out, hopefully, so that other women don’t have to do this in the future, because that’s a really heavy burden to bear and I hope that other women don’t have to go that far in the future.”
