Woman sues boss after being raped, fired

26 March 1980

NEW YORK. — A lorry driver who was raped by three assailants when her vehicle broke down on a lonely road has sued her employer for R4 million for dismissing her when she returned to work.

Barbara Reed alleges discrimination because male employees who were victims of other crimes kept their jobs, while she lost her $17 000-a-year post “for her own good”.

Mrs Reed’s attorney, Gloria Alred, said: “We hope this case will send a clear message to all employers that they must provide the same terms and conditions of employment as are provided to men in non-traditional jobs such lorry driving.”

Mrs Reed said she telephoned for help from a public telephone booth when the lorry broke down, but when she tried to return to the vehicle she was attacked. Police later found her unconscious in a ditch.

Lessons For Today

◆ Rape is a violent crime that has serious effects on the victim, like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

◆ Rape victims are left with a lot of physical and emotional trauma some of which can be long-term or permanent. Most rape victims require a lot of care and support to overcome their ordeal.

◆ In most cases, the support should come from family members and friends. In some cases, victims need distractions such as work to help them heal, but letting the woman go, the bosses in the story actually aggravated their employee’s plight instead of helping her. ◆ Men and women should be treated equally at the workplace, especially when they are performing the same roles. The boss in the story ran into trouble because he applied company rules selectively in favour of male employees.