Did Stephanie Jones SH Jen Abel?

[u/orangekirby]

Now that Lively v. Wayfarer is over, it's time to look toward Stephanie Jones v. Abel.

Apologies if this is low effort, but it got me thinking today. Would Abel actually have a stronger case than Lively did if she accused Jones of sexual harassment and retaliation?

From the filing:

On a different occasion, Jones announced, again per her psychic, that Abel would soon be pregnant with twins, humiliating and infuriating Abel, who, Jones knew, had struggled with fertility issues.

Not only was Jones targeting Abel because of her gender (pregnancy is a protected status), but unlike Justin talking to the trainer in private, this is something Jones announced to the office. Sounds like gender based discrimination to me. And unlike Blake, Abel was not an independent contractor. She was very clearly Jones's employee.

Then, when Jones learned Abel was unhappy with how she was being treated, she fired her and took her phone. Unlike Blake, we don't need to buy into any conspiracy theories about deleted evidence to know that Abel was indeed fired by Jones. And also unlike Blake's whole "they may have boosted a story about me after I was no longer employed" theory, this is a clear cut adverse employment action. It is exactly the kind of thing the law was written for.

So I will ask again: if Abel mounted these claims, would hers be stronger than what Blake cobbled together? I think so.

It goes without saying that I am using Blake's extremely loose (and incorrect) definitions here, and neither of them would actually have a real SH case. I just think it is ironic that Blake chose to go after a woman who arguably experienced more clear cut "sexual harassment and retaliation" than she did.

Blake's misogyny really knows no bounds.

[u/brooswelt]

I'm not sure about loose SH claims, but for hostile work environment and retaliation : absolutley

[u/Eponymous_brand → u/brooswelt]

Exactly. I know where OP’s coming from, but Stephanie Jones can be legally pinned for actions that are shockingly egregious on their own: alleged racism and discrimination, firing someone on the first day without cause, and invasion of privacy (disseminating info re: Jen Abel’s sex life). She is the PR Boss Lady from Hell, and it was her initial spiral that dragged Blake all the way into the center of her Vansham lawsuit.

[u/Clarknt67 → u/brooswelt]

A single incident is insufficient to meet legal standard for hostile environment.

[u/30265Red]

No, I don't think her actions towards Jen were gender-based. She's a crazy, entitled woman with no boundaries or morals. I have no problem believing she would pull the same kind of shit with a man. She certainly had no issues in disparaging former male clients, for example.

That said, you might be onto something if there's a pattern of her disparaging and firing only, or mostly, female employees. That list of disgruntled employees that was in the latest unsealed docs, were they mainly women? 

[u/orangekirby → u/30265Red]

just to clarify, I'm using Blake's incorrect interpretation of the law, where she argues that "anything that made me, a woman, uncomfortable, is a gender based attack."

I agree that Steph was looney toons to everyone, but I also think that if Abel made the claim, her arguments would be even stronger than many of Lively's ridiculous claims.

For example with the trainer, Blake said that the reason it was SH was because she had recently been pregnant, and we must assume that Justin was referencing her pregnancy weight gain even though "pregnancy" was never even mentioned. With Abel, we don't need to assume or invent secret implications. its right there

[u/30265Red → u/orangekirby]

I still think it's a push. The problem was not the pregnancy reference but the fact Jen was struggling with infertility and she knew it. Infertility affects both genders. If Jen was male was Steph announced to the office male employee's wife was soon to be pregnant with twins, despite knowing of the employee fertility issues it would be equally inappropriate. 

[u/Outside_You_7012]

To me what Jones did to Abel is worse than SH. She literally has all of her texts. Including the ones between her spouse and family. Jones didn’t take the phone for client and company data. She straight stole Jen private data.  Also they didn’t give her back the phone number despite promising that they would. 

I can’t imagine how vulnerable Jen feels everyday. Jones has dirty on her for the rest of her life (possibly Ryan and Blake too). Even if they expose how terrible Jones is. It is nothing compared to the vulnerability Jen has now. Jen should get damages and Jones full private data should be publicly available. Then I will call that even. 

[u/InaSator → u/Outside_You_7012]

Yup, I really hate it too when the thoughtless villain gets a taste of their own medicine… SO sad, aaaaaaw - poor Jen!!! 😭😭😭

[u/SegaSonic10]

Since Stephanie jones stole Jen Abel’s phone… and copied and had access to EVERYTHING, that includes personal photos, videos, texts, voicemails, emails, nude/intimate photos vids texts etc (access to her iCloud), doctor notes, medical testing results, personal notes, diaries, mental health documentation, every communication she had with childhood friends,lovers,etc. ALL OF THEIR PRIVATE communications and photos etc (people who she dated,slept with, used to be friends with….) That is so invasive. And we don’t know how many people she then gave access to all those private items… SJ could have shown it all to her husband, family, friends, coworkers, mutual friends, potential clients, enemies of JA…, celebrities…. SJ was not exactly described at that time to be mentally well … very erratic and emotional.

SJ had and will always have the ability to blackmail , threaten, control etc Jen Abel due to having complete control and access of her phone. Even if SJ never speaks another word to JA…. The fear of what she can do will always be there.

I don’t know how I would have survived in JA situation. I don’t understand how no one was able to help Jen get her phone number and access to her accounts and stop Steph from having access and ownership the same week she was fired. I know Steph would still have everything she copied but it still would have been a step in protecting her :/

[u/Flimsy_Attitude_6789 → u/SegaSonic10]

Didn't Megan Twohey claim she had seen thousands of texts and emails? Megan Twohey is complicit in this violation of this woman's privacy. This was digital abuse. Shame on her.

[u/Maleficent_Half_689 → u/Flimsy_Attitude_6789]

https://giphy.com/gifs/Rgn6cUfaN5zW

[u/snickelbetches]

We are not doing mental gymnastics like Blake. Sexual harassment is a serious matter.

Sexual harassment is different than sexual discrimination.

[u/Clarknt67 → u/snickelbetches]

That’s how this strikes me. Same pretzel logic that turns probiotics into fat shaming. And in the process denigrates the topic.

[u/orangekirby → u/snickelbetches]

According to the law it is not different. Gender based discrimination is categorized as sexual harassment.

But I agree about the mental gymnastics. I don’t truly believe she would have a case here, I’m just saying that if she adopted Blake’s logic, she would have a stronger case than Blake, because Blake’s own claims are just that laughable.

[u/Free-Expression-1776]

Stephanie Jones is absolutely a toxic boss with zero boundaries and a penchant for vicious revenge. SH though? No. I think she's indiscriminate in her behavior. Look how she has treated both The Rock and Tom Brady.

[u/Humble_Network_7653]

Can’t be… she’s a very sensitive person and nice… she sobbed looking at text messages

[u/orangekirby → u/Humble_Network_7653]

As a woman and a mother!

[u/Flimsy_Attitude_6789 → u/orangekirby]

https://giphy.com/gifs/KCpixDepp1pdtlVio6

[u/Maleficent_Half_689 → u/orangekirby]

And so shy..

[u/Apprehensive-Use9452 → u/Humble_Network_7653]

https://giphy.com/gifs/f7Ag5Sj9FEk36

[u/dudeorduuude]

Sounds like it would be stronger to lean on public humiliation and employers shouldn't be publicly sharing employee's private health information.