SO5 Episode 06: Joanne's Obsession - An Unforgettable Story of Sexual Harassment at the United Nations

TOB listeners probably know that co-host Joanne Sandler worked at the United Nations for nearly 20 years. One of the many UN stories that fascinated her was a famous sexual harassment case.: Catherine Claxton was a fairly junior UN staff member who brought charges against an Under-Secretary General for grabbing her in his office in 1988 and then blocking her career after she rebuffed him. Catherine's courage and tenacity in the face of profound intimidation (she and her closest friend were shot at, her apartment was broken into, her office was ransacked, senior women in the UN joined together to support the perpetrator) are the stuff of motion pictures. Catherine passed away in 2009. To make sure that her story is remembered and to honor Catherine's courage and colleagues who supported her, Joanne and Julie Thompson – another long-time UN staffer –  interviewed scores of people, including her extraordinary pro-bono lawyers – Mary Dorman and Ellen Yaroshefsky. This episode of Two Old Bitches shares a curtain-opener for the 5-part radio series they hope to launch this Spring. While the story is 25-years old – and despite #metoo and Time's Up -- the wall of patriarchy and privilege that Catherine confronted is almost as impenetrable today as it was then. (And, if you are (or know) a film producer/director, Joanne and Julie want to talk with you!)