Allegation of 'Rape Room' Embroils Salem Shop

A former employee at Harrison’s Comics on Essex Street says she was shown a “rape room” during a tour of the business as a new employee last week, an accusation the shop owner denies.

Jennifer Williams first made the accusations on Twitter on Tuesday, and the story has since been picked up by the Boston Globe, Fox 25 and other news outlets.

In her interview with Fox 25, Williams said the back room of the store was introduced as the rape room and she responded “that’s not okay.” The manager then conducting the tour replied “it is if they can’t talk.”

She said she the alleged “rape room” was a back room used for storage and she had no idea why they called it a “rape room.”

In a lengthy response posted on the store’s Facebook page, owner Larry Harrison said he denies Williams’ assertion and “there is certainly no ‘rape room’ at Harrison’s Comics.” He said he is “committed to running an inclusive, family-friendly business.”

Williams said on Sunday she confronted Harrison, who “sighed and rolled his eyes” and suggested she confront the manager if he refers to it as a “rape room” again. It was the same manager that she said called the back room a “rape room” that met her in front of the store as she showed up for work and fired her on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Harrison tweeted that he “was not even aware that” Williams was fired, and was later told “it was just that they feel she wouldn’t work.” On Friday, in his statement on Facebook, Harrison said Williams “was terminated for documented, performance-based reasons only.”

Williams also tweeted that she had no interest in getting back her job.

Harrison also explained what happened last week, saying that while the group of trainees - including Williams - were being shown the back room it was referred to as the “statue room” or the “stat room” for short.

One of the trainees asked “Stat, like stat rape?” and the trainer frowned at the employee who mentioned rape, Harrison said, adding that the trainer “sternly said ‘we do not have a rape room.’”

“This was the last first and last time “a rape room” was ever mentioned in Harrison’s until Ms. Williams’ took to social media and we were put in the position of having to defend ourselves,” Harrison said.

In the interview with Fox 25, Williams said all she wants is for Harrison’s to “own up to what really happened” and apologize.

Williams told Fox 25’s Heather Hegedus that she may file a police report or take legal action.

Photo: FranMoff/Flickr