Yee Haw Bob Sexual Harrassment

[wgeo]

I don’t think there was a check, period. I think she made that up to make her story seem more believable. How convenient that she destroyed the evidence! She doesn’t go to the police, she doesn’t produce or even look at the evidence (picture) she says exists and she rips up the evidence of a payoff by Disney. And she’s encouraging people to write to Disney about her BS? PLEASE!!

I don't know either of these people. But I'm curious what makes you believe one of them over the other? Do you have proof that she is lying? Have you heard what/if any his response is? Just wondering why the default is that she is wrong and he is right? It seems like a lot of people have rushed to develop a very strong opinion on what is still a developing story.

My default bias is to believe the accuser, due to my life experiences and how I view the world. However, I try hard to keep an open mind as these issues tend to be quite complicated.

 

[MrsDuck]

Is Disney REALLY stupid enough to write her a $500 check to "keep her quiet?" They've had enough legal dealings to know this is a terrible, terrible idea.

I am all for the "Me Too" movement. If Bob is guilty, then prosecute him. This just feels off to me.

 

[AliceAnn]

I don't know either of these people. But I'm curious what makes you believe one of them over the other? Do you have proof that she is lying? Have you heard what/if any his response is? Just wondering why the default is that she is wrong and he is right? It seems like a lot of people have rushed to develop a very strong opinion on what is still a developing story.

My default bias is to believe the accuser, due to my life experiences and how I view the world. However, I try hard to keep an open mind as these issues tend to be quite complicated.

I haven’t heard Yehaa Bob’s side of the story so it’s not that I “believe one of them over the other”. Her side of the story seems a little off to me for the reasons I’ve stated. I may very well think Bob’s side of the story is off too if I ever get to hear it.

 

[Disneylover99]

I haven’t heard Yehaa Bob’s side of the story so it’s not that I “believe one of them over the other”. Her side of the story seems a little off to me for the reasons I’ve stated. I may very well think Bob’s side of the story is off too if I ever get to hear it.

This happened so long ago, I'm not even sure if Bob would have a side to his story. Would he even remember the incident in question?

 

[handinpocket]

I think she is FOS and I'll tell you why. When I vacationed at WDW, several years back, we had a horrific case of bedbugs. I was in touch with Disney legal after submitting my pictures , proof that I contacted front desk, as soon as incident was discovered, actual pictures of bedbugs and later doctor bills (my daughter's bites became infected). NO MONEY was sent to me until I signed a waiver to never sue WDW. They are NOT going to arbitrarily send out checks....that is a bald faced lie.

 

[AliceAnn]

Maybe all questions will be cleared up with the next “Mickey Miles & More” podcast. If not, I’ll be hitting Unsubscribe.

 

[robinb]

This happened so long ago, I'm not even sure if Bob would have a side to his story. Would he even remember the incident in question?

I began to say that he wouldn't remember because it happened 4 years ago and he's taken photos with literally hundreds of people per year. However, if Michelle did contact Disney about it and they investigated it as she said they did, I'm sure they would have questioned him in the process. That would have left a lasting impression.

I think the bigger problem with this "She says/he says" of this situation (without the photographic "proof" her friend has) is that Bob himself can probably not respond to the allegations. She can talk about it all she wants asked people to take up her cause and email Disney to ask for his ouster and he has no recourse. If he's innocent, he's being railroaded out of his job and career.

 

[wgeo]

I began to say that he wouldn't remember because it happened 4 years ago and he's taken photos with literally hundreds of people per year. However, if Michelle did contact Disney about it and they investigated it as she said they did, I'm sure they would have questioned him in the process. That would have left a lasting impression.

I think the bigger problem with this "She says/he says" of this situation (without the photographic "proof" her friend has) is that Bob himself can probably not respond to the allegations. She can talk about it all she wants asked people to take up her cause and email Disney to ask for his ouster and he has no recourse. If he's innocent, he's being railroaded out of his job and career.

Why would he not be allowed to respond to the allegations?

 

[AngiTN]

I began to say that he wouldn't remember because it happened 4 years ago and he's taken photos with literally hundreds of people per year. However, if Michelle did contact Disney about it and they investigated it as she said they did, I'm sure they would have questioned him in the process. That would have left a lasting impression.

I think the bigger problem with this "She says/he says" of this situation (without the photographic "proof" her friend has) is that Bob himself can probably not respond to the allegations. She can talk about it all she wants asked people to take up her cause and email Disney to ask for his ouster and he has no recourse. If he's innocent, he's being railroaded out of his job and career.

And his good name. He can't defend himself. He can say it never happened but few will believe him. Especially if he's out of a job as a result

 

[robinb]

Why would he not be allowed to respond to the allegations?

I'm thinking that Disney legal may have a muzzle on him.

 

[robinb]

And his good name. He can't defend himself. He can say it never happened but few will believe him. Especially if he's out of a job as a result

I'm also reminded of all the good work he does to raise funds for Give Kids The World.

 

[_auroraborealis_]

Again: This sort of simple assault is almost impossible to "prosecute." Hell, most bar fights don't end up prosecuted. The legal system hasn't the bandwidth, and with bar fights it is more explicit, more witnesses, and less likely to be shrugged off by the patriarchy as "oh, it was just a butt squeeze."

For that matter, she'd have been more likely to be on the receiving end of charges had she given him a shiner for it, than he would have been if called on it at the time. Because that is how stuff works.

(I am not endorsing this as how society works. I am simply saying it as fact.)

 

[JulieODC]

I'm also reminded of all the good work he does to raise funds for Give Kids The World.

As does she.

 

[robinb]

As does she.

That's good to know!

 

[okeydokey]

So now this woman is victimized twice, once by a loser grabbing her butt and now by the public because she told. I don't ever want to hear another person wonder why victims don't come forward.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Again: This sort of simple assault is almost impossible to "prosecute." Hell, most bar fights don't end up prosecuted. The legal system hasn't the bandwidth, and with bar fights it is more explicit, more witnesses, and less likely to be shrugged off by the patriarchy as "oh, it was just a butt squeeze."

For that matter, she'd have been more likely to be on the receiving end of charges had she given him a shiner for it, than he would have been if called on it at the time. Because that is how stuff works.

(I am not endorsing this as how society works. I am simply saying it as fact.)

The only reason I would want a police report filed is for recognition of patterns or for building a case that actually could be prosecuted. I wouldn't expect the police to take this to court as it currently is but if say since the 6 years (going by her post) or since 2013 (I *think* I've seen that date somewhere on one of the threads) he had other women who filed similar reports with the police it becomes a different matter.

 

[Hikergirl]

So now this woman is victimized twice, once by a loser grabbing her butt and now by the public because she told. I don't ever want to hear another person wonder why victims don't come forward.

Alleged victim, and she can clear all that up by posting her proof. Afterall she is one of the very few that can actually prove she was sexually assaulted.

 

[wgeo]

And his good name. He can't defend himself. He can say it never happened but few will believe him. Especially if he's out of a job as a result

I don't understand this thought process. He can defend himself, and even right now when he hasn't said a word many many people, even just within this thread believe his side already. And even after Disney was notified he wasn't out of job. So an accusation does not automatically equal the end of his "good name".

I think that false accusations exist, and I think they are deplorable. But the idea that an accusation can hurt someone who "does good things for charity and has a good name" so therefore no one should make accusations doesn't sit well with me.

This person, Michelle, is allowed to make her accusation, she has that right. If she is making a false accusation, I do hope that she pays a price for that, as it makes things harder for every person who is truly assaulted. However, just because the person she is accusing is likable and does things for charity doesn't mean she has to stay quiet about her allegations.

However, I will concede that her asking people to start a campaign of sending emails to Disney does not sit well with me at all.

 

[Sue M]

However in this case Michelle says that there was photographic proof, and that Disney offered her a $500 payoff (which I would have taken as an utter insult if this turns out to truly be a case of assault rather than a misunderstanding). That should have been enough to take action, or at least take it to the press who would hopefully check into both sides of the situation before running the story.

However the fact that the legal system is not doing its job as well as could be hoped (which I think everyone agrees is a given!) is not a good enough reason to take the law into your own hands and incite a public mob who then become judge, jury and executioner. And this is what is currently happening, whatever the rights and wrongs of the original accusation it certainly falls far short of "innocent until proven guilty".

Andre

Thank you Andre, you have said it more eloquently than I tried.

This makes me very, very sad.

If it’s true, then Bob has been using his position and fame to assault young women. That is disgusting.

If it’s not true, I think his reputation will be too damaged for him to go on. He is ruined even if innocent.

In any case, I think we will hear of his retirement very soon.

Makes me very sad too.

I think that sums the situation up perfectly: guilty or innocent, I can't see any easy way out of this for Bob to remain in his job now.

My problem is, no one else really knows the "guilty or innocent" answer for certain except for Bob's and Michelle's own personal interpretations of the same event. Disney obviously believed Bob's version (as there's absolutely no way they would have risked potentially damning brand-damage otherwise, especially if there was a photo sent to them) but Michelle has also made a very clear and compelling case on Facebook countering that opinion with her own side of the story. Sadly, Bob's guilt or innocence is probably now a moot point as this will all come down to whatever spreads fastest on the internet, and I think we all know how that will end.

My own concern, as I stated above, is that this all comes down to interpretation. I would be really amazed if in 20 years of arranging photo opportunities with assorted groups of people, hands had not occasionally landed in places where they should not have been while getting everyone lined up for a photo on that small stage area. And as I understand it, this incident was with quite a big group of Disney race bloggers, and presumably lots of cameras and mobile phones (which thinking about it in hindsight, would be a really stupid time to think about groping someone!).

Michelle clearly interpreted this as a completely deliberate and malicious attempt to "feel her up", and quite rightly she regards this as abuse against her person and in the current climate she is adamant that needs to be addressed and action taken. However this is an interpretation that I suspect Bob may not agree with, but I honestly think that whatever he might say now will just add fuel to the fire and be treated as merely a cover-up - it's now a case of "damned if you, damned if you don't". The internet will have decided.

So I'm not saying who is right and who is wrong as I wasn't there so I can't know - and further evidence may still crop up anyway, as this allegation is only 24 hours old. What I am saying is that I like and trust both Michelle and Bob, so there are still questions in my own mind as to two potential interpretations of the same event, both of which may be utterly accurate in each person's recall.

Now how you resolve that I have no idea, but as I said above I can't see any good outcome of this for Bob no matter whether this situation was actually accidental or malicious.

Andre

This is very sad. And scary, that someone’s long time job no matter what it is can be ruined in a mater of hours by an unproven twitter accusation. This is just not right.

 

[MrsDuck]

So now this woman is victimized twice, once by a loser grabbing her butt and now by the public because she told. I don't ever want to hear another person wonder why victims don't come forward.

Don't believe in that whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing? Again, if Bob is guilty, I hope justice is swift. But, her story is not proof of ANYTHING.