Over 85% of people who experience sexual harassment in the workplace do not report it.  Sexual harassment in the workplace has been illegal federally since the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, but it continues to be a problem nationwide.  In 2017 the hashtag #MeToo went viral, highlighting the workplace sexual harassment of people from the studios of Hollywood to our hometowns. These 10 books shed light on workplace sexual harassment in the United States historically and today.

Of particular note is On Drowning Rats, a recent book by two Toledo-area women who confronted sexual harassment in their own lives and want to teach others how to combat sexual harassment. When authors Rachel Richardson and Cami Roth Szirotnyak were sexually harassed by the same man, they devised a plan to take down their harasser. With the help of female advisors, mentors, and a small but incredibly mighty following of supporters, they brought public disgrace for their harasser as well as inspired his eventual resignation.

Their book demystifies what to do when you’re sexually harassed at work or in the boardroom. Rachel and Cami discuss the personal and professional struggles they dealt with coming forward, the challenging conversations they had with their peers and family members, and the inevitable scrutiny from a community eager to keep the status quo. They deliver levity and humor alongside a well of compassion and righteous anger to connect to the generations of women and people impacted by all forms of harassment.

Rachel and Cami will sit down with our Steinem Sisters Librarian on Tuesday, October 3 at 7 p.m., to discuss their book and how they took action against their harasser.  You are invited to join us at the Main Library to hear from Rachel and Cami. Copies of the book will be available for purchase from the Friends of the Library at this event.