Speaking Truth to Power - Anita Hill [40]
Though they were much maligned in Congress and by the Office of Management and Budget, I found the career people at the agency were its greatest asset. I developed a sincere appreciation and respect for what they accomplished in their efforts to combat discrimination, notwithstanding the pervasive criticism of their work. Nevertheless, the chair’s office never worked as a cohesive unit, where there was very little leadership exercised. Other factors played in as well, not the least of which was the continual political pressure to change the agency’s longtime civil rights policies. My desk was always covered with work. A completed project was quickly followed by one or two new ones. It was not the work I had hoped for, but it was worthwhile, and presented me with a chance to gain substantive legal knowledge.
As fall turned to winter, Thomas once again began to make sexual comments and innuendos, as well as remarks about my hair, dress, legs, and figure. At first I was surprised. I had believed that was in the past. Once again, my negative responses did not stop him. I became completely unnerved about the behavior. My stomach began to tie in knots at the thought of going to work each day. As I disclosed to the Judiciary Committee:
Three to five months after I went to work at the EEOC, during the fall and winter of 1982, the sexual references and pressuring about going out socially resumed. These comments were random and ranged from pressing me about why I didn’t want to go out with him to remarks about my personal appearance. I remember him saying that someday I would have to explain to him the real reason that I wouldn’t go out with him. He seemed very displeased that I wouldn’t agree to date him and showed his displeasure in the tone of his voice, his demeanor and continued pressure for an explanation. He would comment on what I was wearing in terms of whether it made me more or less sexually appealing and he commented on my appearance in terms of sexual attractiveness. All of this occurred in the Office of the EEOC, usually in his office. Because these comments were random, unprovoked and out of context, I became very self-conscious about being in contact with him and about my appearance.
Thomas never issued ultimatums, but I knew that without some capitulation to his comments or acquiescence to his right to make them, he would have no use for me in his office. He never spelled the message out in words, but it was clear from his tone and his actions. Though he had not expressed any dissatisfaction with my work, he began to give significant assignments to others. When he was not being suggestive, he was being gruff or difficult. He complained whenever I asked him to approve or sign off on a project. He stopped promising me that I would one day work on special projects. Though I detested the task, I even did some speech writing for him, with limited success. I hated doing the work and I was not any good at it.
The pressures of working in an intensely political environment I could withstand. They were part and parcel of the Washington experience. In fact, I saw them as instructive challenges. But the sexual undertones and overtones on the job were now more than I felt I should have to contend with. One night in January 1983 I went to the hospital emergency