Photo Credit: Portra
In our work, we often talk about the ways in which workplace structures disempower people from speaking out against misbehaviors. To take a stand and speak publicly about areas in which a workplace failed or outright harmed their employees is incredibly brave and has the potential to inspire change across industries. This week, we’re amplifying a few books about the whistleblowers who used their voice against sexist workplaces and cultures.
Brotopia: Breaking up the Boys’ Club of Silicon Valley by Emily Chang
Bloomsburg TV journalist Emily Chang does a deep dive in how the bro culture in silicon valley has created toxic workplace environments and chronicled the stories of several women who risked their careers to speak truth to power. Chang writes, “Not a month has gone by without some major revelation about discrimination or harassment in the tech industry exploding in the press.” As long as sexist workplace cultures go unchallenged, they will not evolve and others will follow suit because it’s been deemed “allowable.” We applaud Chang for her in-depth discussion on gaps to fulfilling healthy workplaces in the tech industry as well as the variety of employees she interviewed and wrote about who made the brave decision to discuss their mistreatment and discrimination publicly.
Class Action: The Landmark Case that Changed Sexual Harassment Law by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler
This book takes us back to 1984, when Lois Jenson and her colleagues at a Northern Minnesota iron mine filed a lawsuit against the company for sexual harassment. Thanks to their courage and steadfast determination in the face of opposition, they won the first ever sexual harassment class action lawsuit in the United States. This case still holds importance to our legal landscape today, and so it is worth checking out this book to learn more. As Kirkus Reviews remarked, the book is, “Detailed but not dense: a sturdy addition to the literature of social justice and contemporary women’s issues.”
Code of Silence: Sexual Misconduct by Federal Judges, the Secret System That Protects Them, and the Women Who Blew the Whistle by Lise Olsen
Another historic victory in workplace sexual harassment and assault cases was Case Manager Cathy McBroom against her former boss, US District Judge Samuel Kent. Being a whistleblower is challenging in all contexts, but particularly in federal government. Kent, Olsen uncovers, was protected by several federal judges within the court system. Yet, McBroom did the unthinkable and won her case, making Kent the first and only federal judge to be impeached for sexual misconduct. Sight Lines Magazine said in their review of the book: “For the first time since watching Blasey Ford’s testimony, I felt as though I understood how we, as a nation, got here — to a place where the court system protects abusers.” This highlights just how important whistleblower stories can be, as they can help us make sense of not just the whistleblower’s story but their relevance to our wider culture of abuse and enablement of that abuse.
Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change by Ellen Pao
Like Brotopia, this book delves into the sexist, toxic, abusive workplace culture throughout Silicon Valley. However, the trajectory of this whistleblower’s story is different. Pao lost her case against a venture capitalist Kleiner Perkins for discrimination against women. She then went on to become CEO of Reddit, and used her position of power to ban revenge porn and online harassment from the platform. Others have followed suit. This move, with its foundation stemming from her experience as a whistleblower in Silicon Valley, demonstrates that even in the face of a loss you can still make meaningful changes to your community and beyond. It’s also a testament to the power of having leaders who, through voice and action, care about preventing sexual violence and harassment, and the lasting impact her leadership has survivors and for prevention. The Financial Times writes that this book is, “a rallying cry – the story of a whistleblower who aims to empower everyone struggling to be heard, in Silicon Valley and beyond.”
She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
One of the most prominent stories to set the #MeToo era in motion was the unveiling of the decades-spanning, widespread sexual harassment and abuse by Harvey Weinstein. Investigative journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey use this book to explore the process of breaking this story and its impact on our cultural conversation and understanding of the pervasiveness of workplace sexual abuse, assault, and harassment. Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan later starred the book’s film adaptation. The book, which The Guardian described as, “an All The President’s Men-style thriller,” shows the power that whistleblowers and journalists have to make positive change.
Whistleblowers have had and continue to have incredible importance in workplaces across industries. We must ensure that we learn their stories, protect their right to speak without fear of retribution, and take the initiative to change our workplace environments so that these battles never have to happen in the first place.
RALIANCE is a trusted adviser for organizations committed to building cultures that are safe, equitable, and respectful. RALIANCE offers unparalleled expertise in serving survivors of sexual harassment, misconduct, and abuse which drives our mission to help organizations across sectors create inclusive environments for all. For more information, please visit www.RALIANCE.org.