We Said Enough or WeSaidEnough is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 2017. It is dedicated to eliminating discrimination, sexual harassment and assault within employment and academic settings. We Said Enough is based in Sacramento, California.
In 2017 California lobbyist, Adama Iwu had been in a conversation about sexual harassment and violence with friends who worked in California politics, all of whom had "Me Too" stories to share. [1] Iwu herself had been sexually harassed in front of people at a political event where no one called out the behavior. [2]
Iwu approached her close colleague Samantha Corbin to help pen a bipartisan letter that was published on October 17, 2017 alongside an article in the Los Angeles Times. [1] with over 140 signatories.
The letter was signed by California Capitol staff, legislators, lobbyists, and political consultants. It brought attention to the culture of sexual harassment they faced at work. [3] The We Said Enough letter became the first open statement by women working in politics calling out a pervasive culture of harassment and abuse within a capitol community. During the initial launch of its letter, We Said Enough organizers released a series of stories that victims and survivors of harassment and sexual violence had submitted to the We Said Enough website.
We Said Enough has stated it wants to increase protections for victims and improve due process in order to hold those who harass others in the workplace accountable. [4]
We Said Enough has outlined several reforms to make the California Capitol a safer place to work. This includes asking for a confidential hotline for victims to report abuse [5] and "whistleblower" protections for Capitol employees. [6]
Additionally, We Said Enough has also been asking questions about how the process of investigating sexual harassment are conducted. [7] The group wants an "independent publicly accountable entity to handle investigations for both legislative houses" in the California State Legislature. [8]
Following the We Said Enough letter and subsequent movement, the California State Assembly convened the first hearing of its newly formed Subcommittee on Harassment, Discrimination, and Retaliation Prevention and Response. [9] We Said Enough Leaders Christine Pelosi, Samantha Corbin, and Alicia Lewis testified on behalf of the organization.
Due to the significant news coverage and attention brought forward by the We Said Enough movement, Adama Iwu was featured on the cover of Time Magazine for its Person of the Year: "The Silence Breakers". Also pictured was strawberry picker Isabel Pascual (pseudonym), actress Ashley Judd, software engineer Susan Fowler, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, and a sixth woman, a hospital worker who wished to remain anonymous [10]
The We Said Enough campaign was involved with Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra resigning when allegations of sexual harassment came forward in November. [11] State Senator Tony Mendoza had to step down from his committee chair and came under investigation because of allegations of workplace misconduct. [12] [13] Assemblyman Matt Dababneh resigned after women came forward with allegations of sexual misconduct. [5]
The We Said Enough website collects stories from women across the country. [2]
Some women have been shamed for talking about their experiences with sexual harassment and violence in California politics. [12] One lobbyist who signed onto the letter was fired from her job immediately after she notified her employer that she had signed it. [12]
Bradley James Sherman is an American accountant and politician serving as the U.S. representative for California's 32nd congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, he first entered Congress in 1997; Sherman represented California's 24th congressional district for three terms, California's 27th congressional district for five terms, and California's 30th congressional district for five terms. His district is in the San Fernando Valley, in Los Angeles County, as well as the eastern part of the Simi Hills in Ventura County.
Robert Myles Hertzberg is an American politician who previously served in the California State Senate. A Democrat he represented the 18th Senate District, which includes parts of the San Fernando Valley.
Antonio Mendoza is an American politician who served in the California State Senate. A Democrat, he represented the 32nd Senate District, which encompasses Buena Park and the Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County. In January 2018, the State Senate voted to suspend him for 60 days to investigate allegations of sexual harassment. He could not vote on legislation during that period, while contesting the suspension. Before a vote for expulsion was to be taken by the State Senate due to the released findings of an investigation that determined he likely engaged in a pattern of unwanted advances and sexually suggestive behavior toward six women, including four subordinates, over the last decade, Mendoza resigned on February 22, 2018.
Tony Cornish is a retired American police officer and former politician from the Republican Party. He was a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. He resigned in disgrace from the Minnesota House on November 30, 2017, following multiple accusations of sexual harassment.
Randolph Blake Farenthold is an American politician and lobbyist. A member of the Republican Party, Farenthold co-hosted a conservative talk-radio program before beginning a career in politics. Farenthold served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 27th congressional district from 2011 until his resignation in April 2018 in the wake of reports he used public funds to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit and had created an intensely hostile work environment for women in his congressional office. Upon resigning, Farenthold pledged to reimburse the US$84,000 in public money that he used to settle the lawsuit. He later reneged on his pledge to repay.
Raul Justo Bocanegra is an American politician, and a former member of the California State Assembly. He is a Democrat who represented the 39th Assembly District, encompassing northeastern San Fernando Valley.
Cristina Garcia is an American educator and politician who served in the California State Assembly. She is a Democrat who represented the 58th Assembly District, which encompassed parts of southeastern Los Angeles County, including her home city of Bell Gardens. She had served in the Assembly since 2012.
Steve Lebsock is an American politician who served in the Colorado House of Representatives from the 34th district as a member of the Democratic and Republican parties from 2013 until his expulsion in 2018. Prior to his tenure in the state house he served on the city council in Thornton, Colorado from 2003 to 2011.
Matt Dababneh is an American politician who served in the California State Assembly. A Democrat, he represented the 45th Assembly District, which encompasses most of the western San Fernando Valley.
Eric Carl Bauman is an American political operative who was, until 2018, the chair of the California Democratic Party. Previously the vice chair of the state party (2009–2017) and chair of the Los Angeles Democratic Party (2000–2017), he is known for his influence in Los Angeles County Democratic politics. He announced his resignation as head of the California Democratic Party on November 29, 2018, following sexual misconduct allegations.
Bill Brough is an American politician who served three terms in the California State Assembly. A Republican, he represented the 73rd district, encompassing southern Orange County. Prior to being elected to the state legislature, he was a Dana Point City Councilman. Previously, Brough served as chief of staff to California State Assemblywoman Diane Harkey, White House liaison at the Department of Veterans Affairs in the George W. Bush administration, and aide to former congressman Christopher Cox. In 2016, he founded the California Legislative Irish Caucus.
Devon John Mathis is an American politician serving as a member of the California State Assembly from the newly drawn 33rd District, which is located in Kings County, western Tulare County, and a small part of southern Fresno County. He serves as the Caucus Operations Chair for the California State Assembly Republican Caucus.
The 2017–2018 session was a session of the California State Legislature. The session first convened on December 5, 2016, and adjourned sine die on November 30, 2018.
#MeToo is a social movement and awareness campaign against sexual abuse, sexual harassment, and rape culture, in which people publicize their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment. The phrase "Me Too" was initially used in this context on social media in 2006, on Myspace, by sexual assault survivor and activist Tarana Burke. The hashtag #MeToo was used starting in 2017 as a way to draw attention to the magnitude of the problem.
The Weinstein effect is a global trend in which allegations of sexual misconduct by famous or powerful figures are disclosed. The first of a worldwide wave of allegations were made in the United States in October 2017, when media outlets reported on the allegations made against film producer Harvey Weinstein. They were described as a "tipping point" or "watershed moment" and precipitated an "international reckoning" against sexual harassment.
The 2017–18 United States political sexual scandals saw a heightened period of allegations of sexual misconduct, harassment and assault, and resulted in the subsequent firings and resignations of American politicians. Some of the allegations are linked to the aftermath of the Harvey Weinstein sexual abuse cases starting in October 2017 amid the wider MeToo movement.
A whisper network is an informal chain of information passed privately between people, typically women. It consists of gossip about people in a community alleged of being sexual harassers or abusers. The information is often shared between women by word of mouth or online in private communities, forums, spreadsheets, and crowd-sourced documents. The stated purpose of maintaining these lists is to warn potential victims of "people to avoid" in their industry. Whisper networks also purportedly help victims identify a common abuser and come forward together about a serial abuser.
Michael Zabel is an American politician. He served as a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 163rd district from 2019 to 2023.
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