Thread by @heathercmiller

Just want to call attention to the sheer strength @yifan_xing_e and @killnicole have exhibited in coming forward with their accounts. For those who watch #MeToo unfolding around them, it might look easy to do. It's not. A thread.

https://twitter.com/yifan_xing_e/status/1387083773292941313

Both were women & total newcomers. One hadn't even graduated from university yet, and still was interviewing for her 1st job. They were both taken advantage of by a prominent person known in the *global* Scala community at face value as one of our friendliest/kindest individuals.

For the past >10yrs, Jon has been single-handedly the *most* present individual in the Scala community. For years, he attended nearly every Scala conference *globally*. Going as far as acting as the chairman of the Scala Center Advisory Board early in the Scala Center's life.

Now, cut to these two women. Behind closed doors, Jon made sure that these women knew he was well-connected and that he could help them. And that the sexual experiences he put them through should be no big deal, using I-can-help-you argument to keep them in contact/under control.

What's so insidious about this is that Jon is very good at managing his image, being present, and projecting a kind/friendly persona. This kept him in this position of power over these women for years– he knew we all knew him, but we didn't know these newcomers, so he was on top.

Now put yourself in the shoes of these women. You're already at a disadvantage as a woman for seeming "emotional"– it's an immutable characteristic we all get labeled with. Take in addition that these women were new to our community, & were getting off the ground w/ their careers

If you were one of them, would you feel comfortable coming forward when you have so much you could possibly lose, even before your career got off the ground? I think I *still* don't have the strength to do what these women did, even as someone a bit further along in my career.

So I just want to register that we should all be looking up to @yifan_xing_e and @killnicole for having bravery we seldom encounter. For revealing what had been happening under our noses, when it might seem we'd all side with this seemingly kind person we have known for 10+ years

I'm incredibly proud of @yifan_xing_e and @killnicole for being braver than I and many others could be.

It breaks my heart that this happened on our watch, and as always, I'm here for you ❤️