Starbucks, Sexual Harassment and Teens

It is not a secret: I am addicted to coffee. There was a time in my life when I was ignorant to the bliss that accompanies those deliciously bitter beans. I was cynical, sarcastic, and tired. Now I am cynical...sarcastic...and a little less tired (read: manic) until I crash! Maybe the effect of coffee on my life is found less in its benefits and more in an unhealthy chemical-dependency-like-addiction. Hm.Either way, I'm in that place in my life where I know every Starbucks barrista in my neighborhood's name, life story and favorite frappuccino flavor.

So when I heard that a while back there was a pretty significant sexual harassment case against Starbucks involving a teen girl, I was pretty bummed. I actually felt personally let down - that is how unhealthily close my relationship is to this corporate chain. It was along the lines of when I found out what douches the people at American Apparal are (seriously...speaking of sexual harassment...) and I stopped shopping there. Then it occurred to me: now that I've stopped shopping at AA I tend to look less like a douchey hipster and more like myself...maybe if I stop drinking Starbucks coffee, I'll act more like "myself"?

But my personal relationship with Starbucks is not the point.

Kati Moore was 16 when she worked at Starbucks, where her 24 year old supervisor Tim Horton (any Canadians chuckle a little at that one?) would sext her and pursued a sexual relationship with her. This story was apparently part of a 20/20 special about teens in the work place and how they often face sexual harassment based on their lack of working experience, and therefore vulnerability in the work place.

Now, I don't know the details of this case, and conveniently Starbucks was able to settle with Moore in order to cover up the scandal. But seriously, sexual harassment in the work place (and any place) has to stop.

A lot of older feminists have asked me why our generation doesn't talk about more serious issues, like equal pay for equal work, reaching critical mass in the board room, etc. Well...I usually answer, oh so smoothly...that doesn't really affect teenagers' lives. It's not that it's not important, it's just not something we're thinking about yet.

Well, I guess it's time to start thinking, because now it directly affects us. Just because we're teens and just because we're girls does not mean that older supervisors should get away with sexually harassing us. It is freakin 2010. While sexual harassment should NEVER have been tolerated, even in the era of Mad Men when sexual harassment was basically written into a woman's contract, we should so be beyond this by now. Currently, 31% of women have been sexually harassed at work. What's worse is that only 62% took action against their harasser.

This affects us not only now at our after school jobs, but it's something we should be thinking about for the future. I know that I personally want sexual harassment to be obsolete by the time I'm in the work force - partially because I think me slapping a bitch in the office would probably be seen as unprofessional (you better BELIEVE I would...), but more so because I am confident in the fact that I don't deserve to be harassed and I don't have to take it. And that, I think, is the root of this issue. Kati Moore didn't even take action against this guy - her mom did once she found out, a significant time after the harassment started.

Ladies: we do not have to take sexual harassment. We need to act against it - and be aware of it  - now. We should not feel ashamed (even though people might make you feel that way): we're not the ones doing anything wrong. I think its been long enough...our generation should not have to put up with that shit.

So if you see me in the back of some independently owned coffee shop whispering sweet nothings into the mouth of my coffee cup, you'll know why.