Sen. Elizabeth Warren: I was sexually harassed as a young law professor
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren says she was sexually harassed by a senior faculty member when she was starting out as a law professor.
The Democrat from Massachusetts told her story along with three other female senators on NBC’s Meet the Press, report the Boston Herald, the Boston Globe and the Associated Press. A transcript is here.
Here are Warren’s remarks:
“Yes, I have a ‘me, too’ story too. I was a baby law professor and so excited to have my first real teaching job. And there was this senior faculty member who, you know, would tell dirty jokes and make comments about my appearance.
“And one day he asked me if I would stop by his office, which I didn’t think much about. And I did. And he slammed the door and lunged for me. It was like a bad cartoon. He’s chasing me around the desk, trying to get his hands on me.
“And I kept saying, ‘You don’t want to do this. You don’t want to do this. I have little children at home. Please don’t do this.’ And trying to talk calmly. And at the same time, what was flickering through my brain is, ‘If he gets hold of me, I’m going to punch him right in the face.’ …
“After several rounds, I jumped for the door and got out. And I went back to my office and I just sat and shook. And thought, ‘What had I done to bring this on?’ And I told my best friend about it. Never said a word to anyone else. But for a long time, I wore a lot of brown. …
“What it means now that so many people have spoken out, is it’s a way to say, ‘We’re here for each other.’ And it’s also a way to say, ‘No. It’s not about what you did. He’s the one who stepped out of line. And this is on him.’”
The Boston Globe says it’s not clear where the incident happened. Warren’s teaching career began as a lecturer at Rutgers School of Law in 1988. The next year she was an assistant professor at the University of Houston Law Center. Warren also had other teaching positions early in her career.
Even some of the most powerful women in government are saying #MeToo. Four senators told us of their experiences. pic.twitter.com/nObofbzDZa
— Meet the Press (@MeetThePress) October 22, 2017
