From Tinseltown to our Town: The Stars Really LOVE Las Vegas

Heard... Advocate Change THE REAL COST

By Ciara Williams

When you work in a kitchen you learn quickly what you need to do to be seen and to be heard. You learn the lingo, the layout, the associates. HEARD, CORNER and YES CHEF are the 3 statements you learn early and if you work in a kitchen long enough it becomes routine, you will catch yourself at home or in the store muttering these popular back of the house words. You also get a feel for what you will tolerate and what you also will not just let go. As a female in the kitchen, you always will have to ‘prove yourself’, and with that sometimes you learn to brush off nasty comments, the angry chef, people who are brand new to kitchen life, and the sexual innuendos. I’ve been in and out of the kitchen for a good portion of my life, mostly taking the line cook job to get through school and to take care of the family, getting away from real life and hanging with the kitchen crew. You learn who you can count on and who will listen to you about your life outside of work, so most times it feels

like therapy more than work. You create in a sense a family outside of your natural family. The word K’e doesn’t have a real translation but is more so a description of what you want to share with the world, or maybe just your world. As a Navajo this was taught at an early age; K’e, you share with the ones you encounter in life because you want to change the narrative in the world to be in harmony, not just within yourself but in your surroundings, family, home, life, work, kitchen life. As a Navajo you are brought up to respect boundaries, respect life, and respect authority in all forms. We are taught to reach for the stars, the unattainable, to always learn from your mistakes and to stay in harmony and balance within the sacred mountains and to always carry turquoise to represent your heritage and to protect your energy. As a young Navajo woman my father always told us to travel, see the world and see it from another perspective, the real world. That is why I left my home to see if I could conquer the world, or at the very least my world. This was my journey and my downfall. I trusted, I believed, I hoped. I trusted my associates to respect my boundaries but also remain cordial. I believed that if I spoke my truth, they would hear me. I hoped that the authorities would make the wrongs right because that’s what you are taught from a young age; that if someone hurts you, you are to tell someone… anyone. They failed me, they failed us because they believed that a woman can only scream so much until she is drowned out

and silenced. My voice may not have resonated within their organizations however, I knew that I could not stay silent, because if I don’t fight for the truth, who will?

I worked as a Line Chef for nearly 2 years at a local establishment. I endured a lot of sexual inappropriateness while working in the kitchen. I reported various occasions of sexual assault that I was exposed to, to the HR department and told them what was happening, only to no avail. I witnessed a lot of inappropriate things take place in the workplace and decided I could no longer sit back, be silent and watch corporate literally do next to nothing about the multiple complaints at the hands of one specific sexual predator that we worked aside with in the kitchen. After reporting another sexual assault incident, I was told to take some time off work and that “it wasn’t serious enough to involve law enforcement.” Only to return to work and be told that the predator had been promoted and informed that I’d likely have to work with him again. After having had enough of being subject to the sexual advances and assault, I resigned in April 2018. The lack of action by the employer left other victims vulnerable as well. It was said that 3 other women had also come forward with formal

complaints that were also not heard and/or taken seriously. Eventually, mid 2019, this specific sexual predator was finally arrested for sexually assaulting a young child. Now I have a lawsuit pending and will continue to advocate for those who are told “get used to it” and continue to be subject to sexual abuse and mistreatment in the kitchen. Companies that sit back and fail to not only protect their employees but also are negligent in reporting these incidents to local law enforcement should not be acceptable and allowed to continue. These individuals should be held accountable for investigation and criminal prosecution.

My life changed forever after that assault and I will never be the same person again. My nightmares, anxiety, distrust, isolation, loss of having a passion for what I love, and my dignity was stolen that day because they didn’t stop it. Their jobs and their money were more important.

I want to be that person who sees the good in all living things again and believes that if you put the good energy in the world, one day it will spread infectiously. I like to brainstorm for hours on creating the perfect dessert that tastes just like my favorite sour gummy worms, that feels centered and at peace just like the photographs I am learning to take, to find the beauty in life once again. I’m also learning that writing can be therapy too.

Sunshine is what restores me, I’m alive and now filled with warmth and comfort. The ocean is my heartbeat, soft on the cold bitter days, just enough movement to show you that you are still there; like a storm for when you need to be fierce and stand strong. I yearn for that empowered feeling once again. My continued fight for the truth and justice is my downfall yet also my strength, that this is what tethers me, as I find that is where my peace lies. When I look in the mirror and see a reflection of myself, I see something familiar but in a different light. Stronger, wiser, a warrior? Maybe 1 day that reflection will be more of a moment and become a reality, maybe that is my light, my fight and my energy. REALVEGASMAGAZINE.COM