The below press release was sent to TheLiberalOC yesterday afternoon from Danielle Serbin, the chair of the Orange County Young Democrats and not their publicity chair. From the announcement, Serbin owns the announcement and it appears this was issued by her but with the support of the full board which is her right to do so.
In the announcement, which calls out the “me too” campaign of social media where women who have been sexually harassed or worse let the world know it’s happened to them (and the numbers are staggering), Serbin calls out men who are local OC Democrats and from allied organizations such as the OC Labor Federation and the DPOC and suggests they be outed. Yet she doesn’t out anyone herself.
I sent her an email last night asking for names and have no response. But I agree with her. If there are men in the DPOC, the OC Labor Fed who have harassed women, they need to be outed.
Her announcement is below:
Orange County — October 17, 2017 — In response to individuals speaking out about their experiences being sexually harassed and abused by local political leaders, Orange County Young Democrats Chair Danielle Serbin issued the following statement:
As part of the #metoo campaign on Facebook, several young women have bravely stepped up to alert the public about their experiences being sexually harassed and abused by men in power in Orange County Democratic and allied organizations. Specifically, women are speaking out about men in power at the Democratic Party of Orange County and/or the Orange County Labor Federation who have tried to undress young women in the workplace, sent young women pornographic images and memes, and joked about porn with young interns.
We cannot claim to be the party of women’s rights yet condone such outrageous behavior from our leaders. We cannot call out President Trump as a sexual harasser who “grabs ‘em by the pussy,” yet stand idly by while our leaders engage in the same behavior. We are better than this.
Enough is enough. It is time to call out the harassers, name them and shame them, and remove them from positions of power in our community.
To the victims of sexual assault: we believe you. We are here for you. Please tell your story—either anonymously or publicly. We will work with allies to shield you from retaliation. We understand that you did not speak up in the past out of fear, because these influential men could impact your future professional goals and dreams. There is no doubt that the brave stories coming from the #metoo campaign are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to sexual harassment in OC politics. It is time to expose all harassers in local positions of power.
To the organizations where sexual harassment has occurred: do better. Investigate the accusations. Fire the harassers. Clean house and get rid of a culture that condones and encourages harassment in the workplace. I acknowledge that Orange County Young Democrats itself has, in the past, had leaders who were involved in such harassing behavior, and our organization is taking steps to put systems in place to make sure it never happens again. I call upon other organizations to follow suit.
Here’s a statement from the DPOC:
The Democratic Party of Orange County takes accusations of sexual assault and harassment seriously. We condemn these actions in the strongest possible terms. We fully support the rights of all individuals to work in a safe environment and pledge to take measures to protect our interns, volunteers, Central Committee members and staff from intimidation and threats to their safety and dignity.
“I call on every politically engaged person to stand up against all forms of sexual harassment and to speak up for victims. There is no place for egregious abuse of power by some as we build the Party’s infrastructure for the future,” says Chair Fran Sdao. “The Democratic Party of Orange County must be inclusive, compassionate, and fully committed to protecting the basic civil rights of every individual. This is the strength of our Party’s values and we must do everything possible to ensure that each person is treated with respect, especially the young women and men who are beginning their political careers as our interns and volunteers.”
The Party commits to take the following steps:
We will offer training for members and volunteers and invite allied organizations including all campaign organizations to join us and to support empowerment of victims.
We will reintroduce a code of conduct that will apply to all members of the Central Committee, staff and volunteers working on behalf of the Party.
We will not tolerate inappropriate behavior and, once informed, will take immediate action to investigate accusations and come to an appropriate resolution which may include criminal charges.
We will not be silent and will stand up in support of victims of sexual assault and harassment as well as any harassment based on sexual orientation or gender identity, race, color, national origin or religion.
Well if she was a 14 year old Thai boy, I’d suspect Henry “Paul” Lipton.
Matt Coker does a nice job with the story. http://www.ocweekly.com/news/ocyd-outs-harassers-8509739
Awhile back I heard that women were not Julio Perez’s cup of tea. It’s been over 7 years since I heard or read that statement. If it’s true, would the reference to pornography be just an inappropriate remark
I realize the quote said CDs but they were likely DVDs which look exactly the same. I called the OC Labor Fed yesterday and asked for a statement and there’s no response thus far.
Someone check Julio’s browser history…..
http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/18/half-dozen-women-allege-sexual-harassment-at-union-orange-county-democratic-party-headquarters/
Julio Perez
I had believed that Julio Perez was homosexual, afraid to come out of the closet.
But it appears he is a different kind of coward:one who preys upon innocent, vulnerable young women from his position of power.
This guy is a CREEP. I suspect a lot of people knew it and looked the other way. Shameful.
See something. Say something
Let’s go after the enablers of Erik and Julio. The Francks. LeTourneau. Diamond. What did they know. Why did they protect them
Phil Janowicz is toast unless he fires Erik. Erik is a perv. Sure hope those Interns weren’t under 18
Why do you guys keep buying Victor Valladares line of bullshit?
I’ve got a pocketful of Kryptonite.
https://hbsledgehammer.com/2017/10/19/all-hypocrisy-all-of-the-time/
Produce records
Julio Perez is a pig. Hookers would charge extra to sleep with him. Ick ick. Ick.
No word from the increasingly irrelevant OJBlog
To the previous commenters point, Many people we “uncomfortable” around Perez. The indicators were there, people just ignored them, the local party has become increasingly “politically correct”, no pun intended.
There were plenty of signs that Perez, was not what he seemed:
1) He showed up rather suddenly and made a (BIG) splash as a grocery union guy, throwing his weight around (figuratively).
2) Soon this unknown announced a run for Assembly.
3) Subsequently caught “CARPETBAGGING”, he continued to LIE.
4) When he couldn’t support the LIE with the simplest of proof: California ID, his union handlers bought off friendly Jurno’s (none of whom are around anymore????)
5) COMPLETELY OVERLOOKED was the fact that he was a DEADBEAT, who defaulted on his obligations and was being sued!6) He never fully explained how he racked up TENS of THOUSANDS in debt, and could not repay it. Consider this, he earned nearly SIX FIGURES $100,000. per year working at the Grocers Union, he admitted his rent on Baker was $450. per month. HOW COULD HE NOT PAY?
7) When he took over as executive director of the AFL-CIO in OC, many questioned him, but again, his deficiancies were ignored.
8) Enpowered by a ALT-WEEKLY article praising him, he became more obnoxious, dangerous and WEIRDER.
9) When he appeared to be masterbating at the Labor Day picnic, some defended him. “Oh no that’s just Julio, he wouldn’t do that”
10) His defenders repeatedly referring to his “boyish offishness”, while many SAW CREEPER.
Well, you know what, sometimes, someone NEEDS to say something, because, you end up with the FAT, CREEPY GUY, talking about serving MASTER’S and sharing pornography with young women.
SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE SAID A LONG TIME AGO:
“That guy is weird”. Doesn’t sound so insulting now does it???
Oh and I was remiss to mention, in his March 2014 article praising Julio Perez, FIRED OCW editor goes so far as to mention 2Girls1Cup.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:
2 Girls 1 Cup is the unofficial nickname of the trailer for Hungry Bitches, a 2007 Brazilian scat-fetish pornographic film produced by MFX Media. The trailer features two women conducting themselves in fetishistic intimate relations, including defecating into a cup, taking turns in what appears to be consuming the excrement, and vomiting into each other’s mouths.
I won’t link to Gustavo’s article, but perhaps he can use it as a reference at his next job interview.
Where is all the social justice warriors on this. It has been radio silence since this all came out. Jeff LeTourneau, Laura Kanter, Luis Sarmiento, Ben Vazquez, Ada Briseno, (the list could go on), I am looking at you.
It is not lost on me that within the hour Julio perez has begun flood social media with self serving quotes:
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends” – MLK Jr.
Julio, we will remember you as a LIAR. A pervert, someone who betrayed EVERYTHING you pretended to stand for.
We will remember what a PUSSY you are for asking young girls to serve a master and then HIDE BEHIND LAWYERS.
Speak up. Speak Out. Defend yourself. You are a pussy. I don’t like you. Where is that phony voice now???
You are a waste if you do not SPEAK UP NOW!
This came in via email this morning from Jason Mills, a very good political consultant and a friend of the blog.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Jason Mills (714) XXX-XXXX
Anaheim, CA Jason Mills, the Principal of Winning Strategy Campaigns LLC, a political consulting firm based in Orange County, has released the following statement today regarding the recent allegations of sexual harrassment at the Democratic Party of Orange County and other areas.
“As someone who has worked closely with the Democratic Party of Orange County, I stand with the men and women of the DPOC and their leadership in condemning any and all forms of sexual harassment in the workplace. Campaigns need to be a safe place for young professionals to begin their careers or help their chosen candidates as volunteers, interns, and staff. We need to foster environments of inclusion that protect the rights of all individuals. In light of the recent allegations, WSC reiterates a zero tolerance policy for harassment and assault on all of our campaigns. I will always encourage individuals to speak out and reach out, should they encounter any threatening situations. WSC is committed to ensuring that our offices are strictly professional and encourage only positive personal and career growth.”
##
Winning Strategy Campaigns LLC
675 N. Euclid St. #481
Anaheim, CA 92801
I can’t help but recognize the Narcissism in Perez’s post.
NOTE TO JULIO: This is not about YOU. This is about the young women you accosted. This is about abuse of power and violation of trust.
How telling is it that Julio and his allies are not responding, If only the young women had access to millions of dollars in lawyers to hide behind. Julio is following a carefully scripted plan to minimize and avoid blame.
Allthewhile, the boy/man who tells women he is their “Master” remains untouched. SHAMEFUL.
Where is Dr. Moreno? Where is Greg Diamond, Mirevette Judah, what about Ada Briceno?
Resign Julio. Before you take the Labor Fed down with you. Janowicz needs to fire erik or his tweet about believing the victims ain’t true
The National Women’s Political Caucus – Orange County (NWPCOC) stands in strong support of the women who posted their testimonials online in participation with the #MeToo campaign highlighting pervasive problems of sexual assault and harassment of women. We especially support the brave women who spoke out recently about inappropriate behavior within the ranks of local progressive organizations.
Sexual harassment and abuse cannot and will not be tolerated in the broader community, but especially it will not be tolerated in our local community.
As a multi-partisan organization that supports the health, safety, and security of all women we condemn sexual assault and harassment in any organization, regardless of party affiliation.
NWPC OC will host a discussion on the topic of sexual assault next Wednesday, October 25 at 6pm at the Duck Club. Visit our website for details and to RSVP: http://www.nwpcoc.org/me_too_discussion
First and foremost, victims of wrong doing deserve our individual and collective sympathy so as to heal and recover from the harm. This is particularly true when a person is attacked and exploited so as to undermine that person’s self-worth. #metoo
I do see that sexual misconduct, and worse, is being over politicized. Indeed, this has been going on since I was a child (I recall reading the Star Report in Middle School!). If I may, sadly, use a military metaphor it appears that the parties utilize claims of misconduct so initiate attacks and counter-attacks on the integrity of the opposing party. This does not lead to any change in party identification, I suspect, but it does, I imagine, decrease morale and get in the way of positive public policy.
I am rather torn as to how the victim fairs in this theater. On the one hand, it is important that victims are encouraged to come forward and tell their stories. On the other hand, the threat of publicity can deter a victim from coming forward. It seems obvious that mass publicity, rarely, supports the fair administration of justice. Also, we must not forget that those wrongly labeled as sex offenders are also victims of wrongdoing.
Although I harp on this point a lot, this is yet another symptom of a failed establishment. Ultimately, the victims of sexual misconduct, and worse, are getting lost in what is ultimately an appetite for salacious outrage that is meant to, or at the very least does, distract the people. This sort of thing ultimately brings us closer to a point of ungovernability.
Daniel – It is high time that you ditch the pretentious sophomoric schtick.
It is not a shtick. Well, you might call it that, but I come by it honestly. Anyone who pays attention to me knows that I am nothing if not painfully earnest, even if my politics don’t come across as particularly discernible in the current context. And while the wrong doing at issue is serious and merits addressing, the politicalization of sexual misconduct for competing partisan ends constitutes the politics of mutually assured destruction. And we must be mindful of who stands to gain by political chaos; hint, it’s not the good guys.
Erik Taylor resigned today. Phil Janowicz announced it on Facebook without naming names. Phil is no longer fit to run for Congress for being a dishonest fuck. Coward.
I just saw the examples of the text messages Erik allegedly sent to some of those who outed him. Based on his profile photo in the text messages, those were after April of this year.
The whole “Crucified Jesus as a Naughty Boy” will really sit well with those Conservative voters in North OC.
Thanks Erik for reelecting Ed Royce.
What a tasteless DUMB ASS.
I just read an excerpt from Moises Zuniga’s EXCELLENT letter regarding this. I too wonder, why, where and WTF is up with so called “OC progressives”.
As he said so perfectly: What would Mirvette Judah say if an image of Muhamad giving Mario Lopez a BJ appeared on a GOP staffers feed? What would they say/do?
What is the reason for Ada’s IGNORANCE, What about Jeff LeTourneu? Where the Hell is Jose Moreno?
According to Moisie’s his sister was the SAME age age as Jose’s daughter when she was accosted. What would Lorena have to say if her daughter was asked to “DEEP-THROAT” a Mag-Light.
Really, I can not believe that Councilmember/Professor and Principal Jose and Lorena Moreno condone that type of behavior, but in AVOIDING it, it certainly seems like they are OK with Julio Perez accosting YOUNG GIRLS.
I expect a certain amount of Quid Pro Quo fro politico’s but, now I have to wonder HOW FAR WILL Jose Moreno Go? It’s OK if it’s some one else’s sister, daughter wife. What about his?
To Paraphrase JAKE BLUES: “HOW MUCH FOR YOUR FAMILY”?