A government worker in China has gone viral after beating her boss with a mop because he sent her sexually harassing texts. The woman, identified only by her last name, Zhou, appeared in a 14-minute video uploaded to Chinese social media site Weibo. In the clip, she can be seen throwing books at her boss’s face, throwing water over him, and hitting him with the mop as he hides his face and apologizes, claiming it was only a joke.
- Many of the details of the incident are unclear. It was never clarified when the incident took place, but according to local news outlets, the woman filed a police report the week before the video began circulating online.
- Generally speaking, people supported Zhou’s attempt to stand up for herself. The video has been viewed millions of times since being uploaded, with many commenters praising Zhou for standing up to her boss and upsetting the traditional balance of power. “Most of the time, women are forced to stay silent because it is hard for sexual harassment to be investigated,” said Chinese feminist activist, Lu Pin. “This woman took matters in her own hands to protect herself. That her behavior is gaining so much attention is a reflection that there aren’t better ways.”
- The boss has since been identified. According to the Chinese state news media, the boss in question was the deputy director of a government poverty alleviation agency in the Beilin district of Suihua in the Heilongjiang Province, the New York Times reports. An internal investigation found he had “life discipline problems” and he was fired from his position.
- The employee wasn’t disciplined either. Not that she should have been! However, officials claim the woman had an unspecified “mental illness.” I don’t think you need a mental illness to fight back against injustice, personally!
