It was a heated school board meeting Tuesday night at Portland Public Schools.
A woman quit her job as a custodian on the spot, citing fear and concerns over sexual harassment while she worked for the district.
The Service Employees International Union says she is not alone.
"Thank you so much. Thank you for this experience," said Malak Elkher, who used to work as a custodian for the district. "Today, I came here to quit. Here is my card, my keys."
Elkher said she started working for the district a month ago and experienced sexual harassment on the job.
"This guy, he kept ask[ing] me to go out with him, and I said no. He's [a] pushy guy. He kept asking me to go out with him, and I said no; he kept asking."
She said it became impossible to focus on work.
"It’s like, you can’t really go to your workplace if you see the person you’re having problems with. You can’t really feel comfortable at the place. I’m trying to hide from him when I was working there," she said.
She says she couldn't take it anymore and quit.
"They didn't do anything. HR not helping, supervisor not helping, managers not helping. I'm here just to work. To make money. I'm not here to do anything else. I'm here to make money. And they're making that so hard for me," she said.
Elkher now has the support of local union SEIU.
"I am disgusted," said Veronica Green with SEIU Local 503. "The thought of having this man near any school, or her or any student, any woman, any employee, just makes my blood boil."
The union said at least five custodians have come forward, reporting sexual harassment within the district.
They came to the meeting tonight with clear demands.
"Our demands are that the district follow their own policy," said Gabe Penk, with SEIU Local 503. "For issues of sexual harassment, promptly and quickly investigating, making sure the person who brought the complaint is protected."
Portland Public Schools declined a one-on-one interview with KATU Tuesday.
But it did send a statement, saying, "We are aware of the allegations made by SEIU and are investigating. Portland Public Schools prohibits sexual harassment and retaliation of any kind, including firing, for making a good-faith complaint. The district is deeply committed to fostering and maintaining a safe and respectful environment for all our employees."
Some members of the board also commented about it after Elkher's comments.
"The woman just quit. And to me, I don’t see why we’re still here talking, somebody should be out there talking with this young lady," said board member Herman Greene.
"We absolutely don’t tolerate retaliation from making a complaint of sexual harassment either," said Superintendent Guadalupe Guerrero. "We have policy on workplace harassment."
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