I worked at Canoe and Paddle in 2016, into early 2017. I didn’t work there long because I was also in college.
Jake hired me, and I had some friends that worked there as well, and told me tips were good and they needed servers. So of course I was in.
December 2016, we had a Staff Christmas Party at a fellow employees house. There was lots of drinking and partying going on, as most staff parties do. One of the other female servers and I decided to head to bed as most of us were staying over and the party was dying down a little. Her and I were sharing a room (for space reasons).
I remember going to bed, and waking up in the middle of the night to voices talking over my head. It was a man, standing above us asking to come into bed with us. We both said, “No, please get out and let us sleep”. He tried to get into bed with us… we both were aware he was very drunk and was not getting up. So we left that room and went into another room, the room Jake was staying in. We told him there was a man in our room, trying to get in, trying to kiss us and we were upset and tired and scared. Jake said to come stay with him, and at the time this seemed safe and the best decision. It was a big bed, so the girl and I got in and Jake was on the other side. We thanked him for making us feel safer in here and went to bed. A little while later was when I felt something between my legs. I was startled and immediately thought it was that other man again. It wasn’t... it was Jake. Trying not to wake the other girl up, I whispered “No” and moved my body away. This obviously made him think it was still ok, and then he was going down the backside of my pants, cupping around my crotch. I said again, “No, please stop.” The next thing I know, its morning and I get up. Gather my things and leave as fast as possible.
I remember feeling embarrassed, and stupid and wondering if I was asking for it because we got into his bed. I prayed after I passed out nothing else had happened. I felt weak, and never ever brought it up because I didn’t think it was a big deal at the time, and because we didn’t have sex it wasn’t a big deal. But at the end of the day NO means goddamn NO.
It wasn’t until I shared my experience with a good friend that she told me there were others, over the years that also had sexually aggressive experiences happen to them as well.
I want Jake to know how wrong it is to do what he did, and I want a formal apology to me and every other person he made feel this way.