Flight attendant Mandalena Lewis did everything B次元官网网址渞ightB次元官网网址� by the employee policy book when it came to reporting that a pilot sexually assaulted her during a Maui layover in 2010.

She immediately told her supervisor, then told the police, expecting the man to be terminated and the workplace to be made safe.

But after finding support from her employer inadequate, after being told to stay quiet and that she always had the option to quit, and after discovering it would be next-to-impossible to go after the alleged culprit criminally, a disillusioned Lewis is now trying to uproot the very system that allows such a culture to exist: the Canadian workplace.

She is part of a class-action lawsuit against WestJet, claiming all women at WestJet expect its B次元官网网址淎nti-Harassment PromiseB次元官网网址� policy to be followed, but instead the firm is saving money by not handling harassment and assault complaints adequately.

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The suit B次元官网网址� more than two years in the making and currently before the courts B次元官网网址� comes as a global movement topples men in high places, transcending the bubble of Hollywood into all industries and sectors.

While the MeToo hashtag is highlighting the cultural leniency B次元官网网址� even condonation B次元官网网址� of sexual assault and harassment, LewisB次元官网网址檚 experience paints a bleak picture of how the mess is cleaned up after the trauma, and how workplace culture can create spaces that allow it to happen. And it feeds her desire for real change.

B次元官网网址淎ny employer who allows this to happen knowingly and is negligent in addressing these issues should absolutely be held to account,B次元官网网址� Lewis told Black Press Media from her Vancouver home.

B次元官网网址淕oing through this process and this turmoil and the grind of it, I can successfully say I completely understand why women donB次元官网网址檛 go through this process B次元官网网址� of actually doing something legally, and something significant and something thatB次元官网网址檚 gonna make a change.B次元官网网址�

Despite the re-victimization caused by repeatedly explaining her experience in detail, Lewis perseveres suspecting a court victory will force other Canadian employers to change how they address workplace sexual harassment and assault.

B次元官网网址淲hat IB次元官网网址檓 hoping for this the biggest thing is that women can see that this courage is very contagious, and given the right tools and solidarity of one another we can create huge change B次元官网网址� like a widespread change.B次元官网网址�

Reporting to employers riddled with barriers: Lewis

In the wake of Maui, Lewis said her superior couldnB次元官网网址檛 even direct her on the steps to officially report the incident internally. Her employer gave her the impression what happened to her was B次元官网网址渁n isolated incident,B次元官网网址� and said theyB次元官网网址檇 ensure her and the accused would never have to work on the same plane again.

The pilot was given a set of restrictions preventing him from flying over bodies of water.

B次元官网网址淚 had done all the correct things, and even stillB次元官网网址� I was told no, I was told itB次元官网网址檚 your word against his, I was told be quiet about this.B次元官网网址�

Shortly after, she was placed on medical leave for PTSD.

In 2015, five years after she lodged her initial complaint, Lewis received a phone call that would open her eyes. The call came after she had spoken out at a training course in Calgary for pilots and flight attendants about a need for more sexual assault and harassment training at the company. The caller, another woman who worked for WestJet, said she too had been sexually assaulted by the same pilot.

Finding her B次元官网网址渂rought a lot of truth,B次元官网网址� to how Lewis had felt the experience with reporting played out.

B次元官网网址淭he reality is that happened to me because there is a whole culture that has allowed these males to be predatory B次元官网网址� to practice their predatory nature,B次元官网网址� Lewis said. B次元官网网址淎nd that is a huge injustice.B次元官网网址�

Lewis said sheB次元官网网址檚 made peace with the fact she canB次元官网网址檛 go after the pilot directly B次元官网网址� even though he could be doing what she says he did to her, to someone else.

B次元官网网址淗e took advantage of a system, thatB次元官网网址檚 how I see it. And thatB次元官网网址檚 a healthier way for me to see it because, again, itB次元官网网址檚 not just the one, itB次元官网网址檚 many,B次元官网网址� she said.

SheB次元官网网址檚 also prepared for an uphill and bloody battle to make their voices heard.

While her lawyers prepared her to be slut-shamed, and targeted as someone spewing lies, her own family has also tried to protect her.

B次元官网网址淭here were so many people when I first started on this battle that told me not to do it because they love me,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd I had to almost like cut those people out. Because I have gotten to this point as a survivor that nothing else really matters to meB次元官网网址� I know B次元官网网址� not just in my gut and not just in my own experience B次元官网网址� but from everyone whoB次元官网网址檚 contacted meB次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 bigger than me.B次元官网网址�

None of LewisB次元官网网址� allegations have been proven in court.

On Dec. 15, a B.C. Supreme Court judge denied WestJetB次元官网网址檚 bid to toss out the lawsuit, which argued that the workersB次元官网网址� compensation board or human rights tribunal would be a more appropriate venue for the complaint rather than the courts.

WestJet said it will not comment on ongoing legal proceedings, responding to Black Press inquiries with the following statement:

B次元官网网址淲e are committed to fostering a harassment-free workplace where all employees are treated with respect and dignity. We encourage our employees to report any behaviour that may violate our policies via our confidential and anonymous whistleblower hotline or to any member of our leadership team.B次元官网网址�

Employers can reverse and heal innapropriate workplace culture

So what does the average Canadian workplace need to do to become safer for all employees?

According to professionals in the field, employers can get ahead of potential claims by condemning the harassment in its most subtle forms before it evolves into a serious problem.

B次元官网网址淭hose policies need to not to just exist, but be visible, be talked about, be included in orientation, (and) be accompanied by training by employees so that the whole workplace has a clear understanding of what kind of behaviour constitutes harassment and discrimination and wonB次元官网网址檛 be tolerated,B次元官网网址� Laura Track, a human rights lawyer with CLASB次元官网网址檚 Human Rights Clinic said.

Hugh Pelmore, president and CEO of the workplace conflict resolution firm ARETE Safety, said some workplaces with 200 to 300 employees B次元官网网址� realizing the gaps in their own policies B次元官网网址� have been soliciting his company to come in and teach harassment training.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the talk in the lunchroom right now,B次元官网网址� he said.

According to Pelmore a lot of the training focuses on dismantling B次元官网网址渃onflict-avoidanceB次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址渋nactionB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� two components of the workplace that fellow employees can play a big part in when seeing harassment play out in public. Through practical changes, ARETE SafetyB次元官网网址檚 training puts employees in hypothetical situations to show strategies on how to intervene in real situations before those situations become formal complaints.

From jokes to more overt behaviour, Lewis said she started noticing how common these incidences were, cultivating a harassment-prone workplace.

B次元官网网址淲hen I was going up this trajectory, I was realizing it was everywhere.B次元官网网址�

At the foundation of it all is bystander apathy. Also called the bystander effect, itB次元官网网址檚 what happens when not enough coworkers speak out when they see harassment, Lewis said.

B次元官网网址淭here isnB次元官网网址檛 enough people stepping in to say B次元官网网址榯hatB次元官网网址檚 not okay, thatB次元官网网址檚 not funny B次元官网网址� weB次元官网网址檙e not laughing. ItB次元官网网址檚 understandable when itB次元官网网址檚 taken to the next level of being physically assaulted or abused that you still are sort of required in this environment to be quiet. ItB次元官网网址檚 that power issue.B次元官网网址�

Pelmore said reasons why an employee or their witnessing colleague might not speak up often include fear of conflict, fear of embarrassment and fear of reprisals.

Training hopefully initiates a reset, or gives some employees a light-bulb moment where a culture shift changes and B次元官网网址淲ould you mind not doing that anymore?B次元官网网址� becomes a respected response thatB次元官网网址檚 taken seriously before things become serious, Pelmore said.

And when training doesnB次元官网网址檛 work, strong policies are integral

Where certain employees are lacking the self-awareness to realize theyB次元官网网址檙e crossing the line, a B次元官网网址減olicy with teeth,B次元官网网址� is integral.

From a write-up to a suspension, consequences, discipline and possible dismissal are possibilities that need to be painted clearly in the employee handbook, Pelmore said.

In order to be adequate, the policy also needs to acknowledge what sexual harassment typically looks like, Track said.

B次元官网网址淲oman are significantly more likely to experience sexual harassment in their workplace than men,B次元官网网址� she said B次元官网网址� a pattern linked to women continuing to occupy more lower-paying, lower-authority jobs.

B次元官网网址淭he policy needs to deal with complaints from all possible sources, but also [when] the harasser is the manager, the executive director or the CEO.B次元官网网址�

It could be upward of a year before a decision is made in the Lewis case. For the now-32-year-old, thatB次元官网网址檚 another year of that night in 2010 casting a shadow of injustice.

But underneath the back-and-forth of litigation, she said, is a situation that no employer or company will be able to ignore anymore.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 really hoping that it creates a cascading effect,B次元官网网址� she said, B次元官网网址渢hat we need to address these issues and start creating a space where we can address these things, confront them.B次元官网网址�

Chrous of voices show the strength in numbers

As Me Too shows no signs of slowing, and as each new woman braves the camera to share her story, another finds the courage to come forward, too.

B次元官网网址淲omen are starting to take back our voices and are creating the catharsis for ourselves and creating our own paths,B次元官网网址� Lewis said.

The many B.C. women to recently add their voices to the Me Too chorus seem to agree.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 basically B次元官网网址渉ash tag whoB次元官网网址檚 next?B次元官网网址� Anita Roberts said. B次元官网网址淏ecause as women begin to find their voices and, as I said earlier in the interview, men are scrolling back into their best behaviours going B次元官网网址榦h my god did I cross the line?B次元官网网址� And literally freaking out that someone is going to call them on it.

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After initially being afraid and embarrassed to type B次元官网网址楳e TooB次元官网网址� into her Facebook status, Krista Loughton says doing so actually proved to be cathartic. She thinks real change is coming.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not like itB次元官网网址檚 going to happen tomorrow, but maybe in the next two or three generations, maybe we can see a world thatB次元官网网址檚 more inclusive for all of us,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淪o I think itB次元官网网址檚 awesome. Thank you Harvey Weinstein. For being a total dick. But look at what is going to come of that.B次元官网网址�

Lewis hopes that employers will start to realize itB次元官网网址檚 not only beneficial to the female employees to ensure a harassment-free workplace, but one that helps the employer by ridding barriers that hinder many woman from promotions into positions of power B次元官网网址� creating a more equal dialogue at the top.

B次元官网网址淲hat IB次元官网网址檓 hoping for this B次元官网网址� the biggest thing B次元官网网址� is that women can see that this courage is very contagious, and given the right tools and the give the solidarity of one another we can create huge change B次元官网网址� like a widespread change,B次元官网网址� she said.

Perhaps Leona Huggins of SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) Vancouver summed it up at an October Me Too rally in Vancouver.

B次元官网网址淲e need to recognize that this Me Too movement goes well beyond Hollywood, politics, U.S. gymnastics, Canadian skiing and junior hockey,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淪exual violence permeates many areas of our lives, so letB次元官网网址檚 commit to ending it, let us commit to speak out when we see predatory behaviour, let us commit to believe survivors whatever walk of life they come from.

B次元官网网址淟et us commit to hold our institutions accountable, insist that those who are found to have committed sexual violence are removed from their positions of power.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 need any more members in the #MeToo club.B次元官网网址�

- With files from Arnold Lim