Sometimes when it comes to workplace sexism, the only thing you can do is take matters into your own hands—especially if you’ve tried suing your former boss, and he’s been an unresponsive dick.
That’s exactly what Rosette Laursen, an actress and writer from Los Angeles, did after her boss allegedly sent her sexist messages regarding her request to have the day off for this year’s “A Day Without a Woman” strike on International Women’s Day.
Sharing her story on Facebook, Laursen wrote that she was working as an assistant at a small talent agency and had emailed her boss (who she later identified as Michael Einfeld of Michael Einfeld Management) for the time off. She wrote him that she wanted to spend the day writing, as she wants to become a TV writer, and writers rooms are still overwhelmingly male.
However, Laursen said Einfeld sent her a shocking response that was supposed to be reserved for her male coworkers—but he ended up replying to the entire team by accident.
“Are you fucking kidding me. At the end of pilot season. Someone should sew her vagina shut. I’m never hiring a girl ever again,” Einfeld’s alleged email reads. “No bonus for anyone that strikes or leaves early in pilot season. No one is striking in show business we are all against Trump. And women are considered diverse and being shoved in as writer and directors. Zach who is a Jewish male is being pushed out.”
“Uppity Selfish Cunt. Heather went to work. I’m sure anyone at a casting office or agency would be fired,” it continued.
After realizing what he had done, Laursen said Einfeld sent her a slew of anti-Semitic texts apologizing for his behavior.
“I apologize for venting like a misogynistic faggot. I was letting off steam I didn’t mean to hit reply all. I’m an asshole,” he wrote.” If you come back we can play Nazi death camp. You can beat me and put me in the oven. Or feed me cabbage and lock me in the shower. I am truly sorry.”
Instead of attempting to put up with his behavior and sad apology, Laursen told him that she quit. She said one of her male coworkers tried to get her to stay by explaining that the email “was just a joke.” But after attempting to put up with Einfeld’s non-jokes for five months, allegedly calling people “fucking retards” and using the N-word, just so she could work her way up and gain experience in LA’s entertainment industry and not be seen as a quitter, she said she was done.
In her post, Laursen explained that, similar to leaving abusive relationships, she had a difficult time leaving her job because Einfeld wasn’t terrible all the time. They bonded over shared loves for Broadway musicals and he could be cool and funny at times.
It’s a situation that many employees, regardless of industry, face when dealing with problematic management—we all know how we could handle ourselves to stand up or report inappropriate behavior, but the situation is complicated, the boss isn’t always a monster, or the job’s benefits appear to outweigh their mental or physical costs. Conflated with the fact that Hollywood assistants are often overworked and underpaid, with people committed to do just about anything to achieve their dreams, Laursen wrote, this behavior is often given a pass to.
“Assistants at management companies, casting offices, networks, and studios are all just trying to keep things running smoothly, and no-one wants to be the one to throw a wrench in things. But sometimes it’s got to be done. Let’s say no to the [Einfeld]s of the world,” she wrote.
While Laursen, as aforementioned, said she has tried to pursue litigation (her lawyer only requested she receive a few months’ pay as compensation), Einfeld has completely ignored her notices. The next step would have been to take Einfeld to court, which would have made the emails and texts public record. Since she didn’t care so much about the money, she decided to publish the emails and texts herself.
Though Einfeld’s website appears dormant aside from a blank home page, a Google cache of the page reveals the website was online as late as Aug. 5. Einfeld did not immediately respond to the Daily Dot’s request for comment.
“I don’t think Michael should be allowed to continue his inappropriate behavior with zero repercussions,” Laursen told Jezebel. “If he has gotten away with it for this long, then there are probably countless similar situations in the entertainment industry that go unmentioned. This is something that needs to change.”
Read Laursen’s full post below:
https://www.facebook.com/rosette.laursen/posts/10159138995520123
H/T Jezebel
