Vanessa Stout and Cindy Stankoski
Published April 12th, 2008 @ 10:08 am. Tags: marc dannAs she was trying to get the attorney general’s office to investigate her sexual-harassment complaint, Vanessa Stout was charged with having a small amount of marijuana and a pack of rolling papers in her car.
Stout was picked up by the State Highway Patrol on I-71 in Morrow County at 7 p.m. March 12, just a few days after she brought her complaint to authorities in the attorney general’s office. She was pulled over for having expired license tags, and she was charged with driving with a suspended license as well, the traffic ticket indicates.
Vanessa’s father is claiming that this was a setup! Is he trying to claim that Dann or Gutierrez talked a police man into searching her car? This is turning into such a soap opera, but a minor charge of drug position is hardly as serious as the crime of sexual assault.
Here is a picture of Vanessa from Channel 10 in Columbus video:
And here is a picture of the other woman, Cindy Stankoski, from her MySpace page. I don’t know why it is dark and Xeroxed looking:
I hope this doesn’t make anyone think that these girls are not believable. It took a lot of grits to come forward and these infractions shouldn’t discredit them.
I DON’T CARE WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THIER PAST- I care about dirty men in politics and all walks of life getting away with sexual harassment due to thier position. If I had a dollar for every man in a power postion that had some sexist remark I would be so rich. Thank god for these tough women who had the balls to stand up for what we women need to do everyday!!!
Keep it up girls, if you read this know that there are many women out here that support everything you do and again don’t care what has happened in your past-has nothing to do with the violations you felt in each of your instances!!!
These dirty old men in power need to repremamded for what they continue to due. they think because they are in a powerful position theyare able to get away with ehatever they want. this needs to stop!!
I am appalled by these politicians (both Democrats and Republicans). Why there is a double standard? If it is Republican they stay in the office if it is Democrats they have to resign? If it is a BOSS he/she stay but his surrogates get termination? We say we live in a democratic country but this is hypocrisy.
I admire both Cindy and Vanessa for their courage and persistence to bring this to peoples attention. I am sorry that they had to seek the media’s help to get this resolved or even to start the investigation.
Has anyone thought about the Cindy and Vanessa psychological trauma they have been through and still going through. We as citizens trust politicians. Marc came as a MR. Clean but he him self is not clean. When a boss is corrupt how can we expect his surrogates to be clean? Marc has no moral authority to stay in the office.
I read a few of these comments from people, ranging form these girls were brave….., dirty ole men in politics……
The last time I saw it takes two to have an affair. Did Mr. Gutieerrez force them into this affair? Don’t think so…….And I really liked the one about when its a Rebulican they stay in office but when its a Democrat they get booted, Clinton the king of all this should have been booted but Noo……….Clinton was able to stay in, so i guess he falls under the Republicans now. I really see this as an office affair and nothing more. If he was 100% happy at home this would have never happened.
So these girls were and are just as much responsible as the Attorney General himself.
I’m a woman and I cannot believe that these party GIRLS, desparate for attention, free drinks and a romp are going to get away with this, and in addition, make money off of it! They may need the money as I hope neither of them are able to get a job after this. Who would want them? What man would want them after this either?
It’s people like Jane that discourage women from coming forward when something like this happens to them in their workplaces. Cindy and Vanessa should be praised and not ridiculed as you have done. Maybe some day you or someone you love will find yourselves in such a situation and you will have a different perspective at that time. You should be ashamed of yourself.
They were partying with them and in bed at the condo in Dublin! I don’t agree with what the men did either, I just think the girls got caught and now their trying to get out and make money off of it. The men should be held responsible but the women shouldn’t be rewarded for it.
Get all the facts, rethink it through and you will see the light.
Jane you don’t know the whole story! So maybe you should get the facts. Obviously you are a girl like that Utovich Witch !
Hey Jane, you are all wrong. I know at least one of these girls never slept in the Condo. You must have them mistaken for the A.G.’s girlfriend, which has nothing to do with these two, Further more you probably never had any kind of propositions in your life. You sound hard and bitter. Us women better stick together. I think they were brave, You don’t know what they are going through. It takes a lot of guts to stand up for what you bellieve in.
Granny
I have read all these blogs and think that all the people that support this crap need
to get their facts straight. Here this should help shed some light on what really happened
to the VICTIMS, if you can call them that. You can not be harassed if you are egging a person on. Yes I agree there was in the wrong, but come on, they want to play like they did nothing wrong. They didn’t get there way so they decided to find another way to get a pay out. Here is a link to the interview transcripts
http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/05/post_2.html.
Lets start with (Transcript of testimony of Cindy Stankoski (pdf)) (Part1).
I have added the location of the items referenced below.
Here is Cindy’s answer when asked about how her interview:
“He would just stare at my chest.
He would bite on his lip, just — he got
real comfortable in the chair while I was talking”.
(Page 15-Line 1)
Ok ladies if you had this happen in an interview, knowing this is going to be your boss, are you going to take the job?
So lets see you take the job and then this happens
“He would be — any time I’d be talking,
he would not look at my face or my eyes, he
would never make eye contact. He would, like I
9 said, bite on his lip. He would just — it made
me feel like he was undressing me with his
eyes”. (Page 23-Line 6).
So she takes the job and from the beginning he is biting his lip and undressing her with his eyes. But it takes her almost 6 months to file a report? Come on, what really happened? Did she not like her 6 month review?
So now we look at Sept 10th (Remember the complaint was filed in March, NOT September WHEN IS SUPPOSEDLY HAPPENED, 7 Months after the fact).
“It was towards the end of the workday.
I, at the time, worked from 8:30 to 5:30. And
around quarter till 5:00, close — towards the
end of the workday, he walked out of his office,
and he just expressed, I need drinks. And he
asked me, have you ever been to Ringside”.
(Page 39-Line 13)
What are you doing going out for drinks with a man you despise, don’t even try and say
you feared you would loss your job. If you were fired, then you would definitely have a reason to file a suit. But wait it gets better, please read on:
“I talked to him about an
incident that happened to me in 2002 with Crime
Victims, how Crime Victims didn’t cover 100
percent of my medical bills, and I didn’t have
insurance at the time. He told me to bring in
my paperwork from then, and he’ll get it taken
care of.”(Page 43- Line 16)
Now we have a man with power, seems kinda funny that this so called victim is now looking
for help with a case that happened 5 years ago, seems kind of illegal to me. So now she has had a few drinks with the man she despises. But it gets better:
“From Ringside, I had still expressed, I
really need to go get some groceries done. I
work Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursdays, and it was
my only night off. He pressured me into just
one more at Tip Top cafe. So I walked over to
Tip Top cafe with him.”(page 45- line 14)
So now instead of going home she goes to ANOTHER bar. You are 26 years old, a grown women, you despise this man, but you are going to go to ANOTHER bar with him?
“Tony said, yeah, I’m here with a smoking hot girl.” (Page 45-Line 18)
So he says this on the phone and you still go? I think she was flattered not scared.
“We went to Mitchell’s on Third Street.” (Page 47- Line 12)
Now she has went to two bars and now she is going to dinner, is anyone see something wrong here?
“And I joked to Marc, and I said, only if you have Hawaiian pizza.” (Page 48-Line 22)
So you are scared but you are now going to joke about pizza on the phone?
“I had no way to get home. My car was in — downtown.” (Page 49- Line 4)
So lets see, it is ok for her to leave her job at the bar in Gahanna (don’t ask because I am not telling you the name) drunk and drive home, but she has to look good in front of the interviewer, By the way why hasn’t she there lately, Maybe Aunt of one girl can tell me?
“I’ve never met him in my
life, I’m at his house, you know,
drinking, drunk.”
(Page 52-Line 23)
So now she is at Marc Dann’s house drinking, but she is uncomfortable, right I find that hard to believe.
“I had gone outside for a smoke, and I
called Mariellen, and I told her, you’ve got to
come get me. ” (Page 56- Line 17)
So she called for help, go here to see what she really said:
http://www.cleveland.com/ohio/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1208334786154400.xml&coll=2
Do those sound like she was scared? Sounds to me like she was bragging.
“When you walk in, to the right is –
well, to the right is kind of straight. He had
a chair in the corner, and I believe it was a
white sofa. And then it just went immediately
into the kitchen.
And the counter was kind of like an L
shape. He had a TV that was in the wall, had
a — it was cut out, and the TV was in the wall.
In the family room.
And Tony’s bedroom was the only one on
the first floor. So — I never went on the
steps — or up the steps to see what was
upstairs.” (Page 61-Line 1)
So she is drunk, in a condo she has never been in before, drunk, she has only been there one time, so she says. I don’t know about you but if I were drunk then woke up all freaked out, I am not going to remember the layout of the apartment down to the color of the couch.
Next time we will look at Vanessa Stout and the fact that she didn’t graduate High School. How did she even get a job?
Hey WakeUp…maybe you should have had your coffee first.
You obviously have a whole lot of time on your hands that you were able to decipher the transcript almost line by line and word for word to point out some very pointless things. Everyone has their opinions and they are entitled to them; you are no exception. By some of what you have said, you either know Cindy yourself or perhaps know of her through others, but it’s obvious that you don’t seem to like her very much and those feelings are coming across loud and clear in what you have posted in this blog.
I don’t know how old you are, if you are a female, or a professional so I’m not quite sure who I am addressing this to, but all I can tell you is if you can think clearly without this obvious dislike for Cindy and put just any young female in her place you will see that all she was was a young woman in a very vulnerable situation intimidated by very influential and powerful men that abused their powers and overstepped their boundaries.
I don’t know your “beef” with Cindy, she didn’t do anything wrong here. She found herself in a bad situation that she didn’t know how to get herself out of and these bastards took advantage of it. She didn’t just stand up for herself, she stood up for all the women out there that are sexually harassed in the workplace every single day but are afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation and losing their jobs.
Well “Wake UP” This is how I see it! If it hadn’t been these girls, it would have been others. Maybe the others would not have had the nerve to go forward with charges. They would have just quit and it would just become a viscous cycle of girls getting good jobs and not being able to keep them. I would imagine alot of girls did just that! Vanessa is my niece and I am very proud of her, for standing up to these JERKS! I don’t imagine there is a woman in the world who hasn’t been sexually harrassed in the work place, in some manner. I know that I have. Absolutely not to the extent that Vanessa and Cindy have, but I hope that I would have done the same. Any attractive girl in the work force is a target for this kind of behavior by men who think they can get away with it. I think it is high time for the Women of the World to put an end to this Frat Boy behavior! Wake up & Jane, you both should be ashamed for not standing up for women’s rights!
A VERY PROUD AUNT !! I love you Vanessa!
Very well said Vanessa’s Aunt. I think now that money has been brought up for compensation, some of the women in that office are wishing they had come forward themselves with their own stories long before Cindy and Vanessa were even in the picture, and because they didn’t, for whatever reasons, they are now kicking themselves in the butt and of course they are pissed off and may even be a little jealous of what Cindy and Vanessa have accomplished for all women. Jane and Wake UP - you really need to do a little soul searching here.
I HEARD THEY ARE GETTING 400K EACH AND THAT PART OF THE AGREEMENT IS FOR THEM TO LEAVE THE AG OFFICE
I didn’t hear that…but I guess we’ll know soon enough.
Skeptic I think you are right, alot of the whining is about jealousy! I am sure there are alot of girls in that office wish that had had the guts to do the same. Although, since coming forward there has been so much stress on the girls. I am sure these gals who are jealous haven’t even thought about that. Being ridiculed by your co-workers and by the rest of the judging public really sucks. Being put down for your past, even though being told at your hiring that it was ok. I do know that Vanessa did not lie to anyone about her past, during her interviewing process. If Vanessa & Cindy leave the AG’s office, at least they can leave feeling proud that they have made a difference for those who stay! I feel that all the females in that office should thank Vanessa and Cindy, instead of judging them. I am sure that all of the “attractive” girls in that office were subject to some of the same. Come on ladies lets stand up for ourselves and EACH OTHER!!!
If I were Cindy and Vanessa I wouldn’t think of leaving the AG’s office, not for $400,000 anyway. They would have to give me $4 million to leave (ok, I’ll even take $3.5 million). All of those girls who are jealous need to shut up, do their work and mind their own business. Cindy and Vanessa - listen to me girls - stick it out, keep doing your work, keep your heads up high and most importantly - KEEP YOUR JOBS, and let all the others who talk and whisper behind your backs eat crow. They will shut up one of these days still frustrated as hell.
Oh, and by the way Aunt of one of the Girls, how much do you want to bet that Wake Up thought you would end up to be Cindy’s aunt. Made me chuckle when you turned out to be Vanessa’s aunt. If I read the transcripts over again I would probably be willing to bet Wake Up is either Erica or Amanda, but that would be just a guess.
And one more comment on Wake Up’s judgment on Vanessa not having a high school diploma and getting that job, the job is administrative assistant, come on!!!. The bigger question is Gutierrez not having a college degree and being a director of a department supervising hundreds of people and making almost $90,000??? That’s where you need to channel all your energies in being pissed off at a system that’s broken.
Message to Paul - Paul, did you read anything that has to do with the sexual harassment allegations? Neither Cindy nor Vanessa had an affair with Gutierrez or Dann. What have you been reading and who do you have them confused with? It was Jessica Utovich that had the affair with Marc Dann, Cindy and Vanessa were pressured into having sex, but they DID NOT.
No but Vanessa used to hang out with Gutierrez before she even got the job.
As for high school diploma, that is a requirement for working in a state or
federal position. I see you did not say a word about her having a record. She got a job she was not qualified for. How did she get it?
I am not sure who you think I am, but I don’t even work for the state. I don’t even know who Erica or Amanda is. I checked the transscripts and those two names didn’t show up in the list of interviews. Do they work there? Is that mean you work there.
Skeptic- you said to get the facts, they were put right in front of you and you don’t want to believe them. Maybe you need to get your facts straight. The transcripts are in their (Cindy and Vanessa) own words. Those are the facts.
Ok lets see how much of a Skeptic you really are- read the first 30 pages of this http://blog.cleveland.com/openers/2008/05/stout041408R.pdf. Then see what you think about Vanessa and getting a job. Knowing how Gutierrez was before she even started. You need to heed your own words and get the facts. That is unless you are Cindy or Vanessa.
As for going line for line, I didn’t have to. I read the first 65 pages of Cindy’s and that was enough. I read about 40 pages of Vanessa’s.
None of this really matters, If it goes to court, everyone will see the truth.
As for Aunt, you would know more then any of us, that is unless Skeptic is really Cindy or Vanessa. I know blood is thicker then water, but when this all comes to an end, I want to see how proud you are then. The truth will come out. I have seen many people break under the pressure of having a good lawyer pull up something the witness never expected, then watching the witness try and backpedal is great because now they are caught.
Wake Up
I’m not Cindy nor am I Vanessa. I don’t work for the state either. I’m just a little old lady that believes these two girls did nothing wrong as it relates to the sexual harassment allegations and the investigation that took place as a result. The investigation was done internally by Marc Dann’s lawyers and they had every opportunity to cover up the facts…they could not because what these girls brought forward was the truth and because of this truth the AG and his cronies are now gone. Do you understand the magnitude of all this? So much more on the corruption of Dann’s ways will be published after the ongoing investigation by the Inspector General is complete and what these two girls have accomplished will be so much bigger then…they brought down a very corrupt government official. A paid State holiday should be declared in their names - May 2nd - the day Ben Espy’s findings were revealed to the public should be declared as Cindy’s and Vanessa’s day and should be a paid holiday for all state workers…that’s a great idea. What do you state workers think about that?
Wake Up - don’t you wish you worked for the state now? You’d have to improve on your grammar first though…work on that and then apply.
WAKEUP: I think you really should wakeup. How do you think Vanessa got the job?? Are you that NAIVE? Dann & Guttierez told Vanessa to come there for a job. They really encouraged her to do so. As neighbors, she was told it was a favor. Then with in days of being hired, she was told she owed them. Vanessa has a GED and was told that it did not matter for her job. I am sure that they assumed with Vanessa being a single mother, that she would be an easy target for their sexual shananigans!
I will be Very Proud when this is over as I am proud of my niece now, yes I do know alot about the case. As it is obvious that you do not!
Get real!
Wakeup! I almost forgot, Vanessa was upfront about her record too. She was told again, not to worry. These jerks were only out for one thing from the beginning. And what about giving a person a chance to prove they have grown up and changed their lives? I for one, am always ready to give someone another chance. I know everyone has things they have done and regretted, and you may not have a record, but I am sure there are things that you would not want others to know. I feel Vanessa is very brave. She knew that her past would come out and she is still willing to stand up for herself and all women! I am guessing to that you are not a christian woman?? Judge not lest ye be judged!
Still a Very Proud Aunt !!!!
Aunt - you have every right to be proud of your niece for getting her life together, raising her kids, working, and making her own way in the world. Good for her. And having her GED is the same as having her high school diploma, so these people that are stuck on why she got a state job without a high school diploma need to SHUT their mouths now. As far as having a record, you are right, she made a mistake when she was younger, she paid for it, it’s unfortunate that she continues to pay for it every time her record is checked; and checked it was when she was hired to work for the AG’s office. She didn’t twist anybody’s arm, she was offered a hand and she took it - why wouldn’t she? I would if someone was offering me a helping hand. Everybody needs a break at least once in their lives and it was her time and she took it - GOOD FOR HER. Just because someone (and it happened that person was in a powerful position and was able to bend a few rules) gave her a break didn’t mean that he had the right to take advantage of the situation by pressuring and harassing her for sex. Like I said in many of my previous posts - GIRLS - STAY STRONG, DON’T QUIT, THIS TOO SHALL PASS.
And the plot thickens - see tonight’s ABC news coverage of Jennifer Urben’s own sexual harassment allegations against Leo Jennings and Anthony Gutierrez:
here: http://www.wsyx6.com/shared/newsroom/ag/wsyx_vid_35.shtml
and
here: http://www.wsyx6.com/shared/newsroom/ag/wsyx_vid_36.shtml
I would have to go back and read her testimony again, but I sure don’t remember reading anything about any of this in that document. Does that mean she lied under oath?
Hmmmmmm…i guess time would tell, eh?
From the Dispatch:
DELAWARE, Ohio — One of the two women at the heart of the sexual-harassment case that led to the downfall of former AG Marc Dann spent about two hours in the Delaware County Jail Sunday morning, reported NBC 4’s Mike Bowersock
Police said Stout was so drunk that she was unable to care for herself.
Stout was passed out in the backseat of a vehicle at the Red Rock Café, 837 N. Houck Rd. off of state Route 37, according to police, when a patrolling officer drove through the lot.
A man was in the vehicle with Stout, police said, and a third man stumbled out of the car and passed out onto the pavement intoxicated as officers arrived.
What a nice young lady!
You know what, she can have a hang nail and it would be called in and made look bad just because of who she is. I’m not saying she didn’t make a mistake, all I’m saying is that it’s being blown way out of proportion.
Jane, again you don’t know the whole story. Vanessa can’t seem to go anywhere, that the local press isn’t following her. This is getting as bad as Hollywood press, and I imagine it is just as exaggerated!! I believe that State of Ohio is following her too! I guess you Jane, have been selected for Sainthood? Which I seriously doubt since you are such a vidictive and judgemental person! Just remember what goes around comes around!
And why the hell to you care so much? It really makes me wonder who the hell you are???????????????
If you’re going to open up a can of worms, you best 1. be ready to deal with ‘the hollywod press’ 2. be ready to air all of your dirty laundry 3. be telling all of the truth. These were serious accusations whether they be fabricated or not, that effected peoples lives, marriages, children, jobs……think before you jump into something like this. I’m just saying unless you ARE a saint, get out, walk away, then seek legal counseling. We all have that choice no matter what the horrible situations and management we have to deal with sometimes these days in corporate america. I wonder why this wasn’t reported to ethics long ago to TRY and stop it in it’s tracks…maybe it was I just haven’t seen anything referencing.
Jane, Obviously you don’t realize these men were breaking the law!
Wow, I didn’t realize rape or attempted rape was so accepted amongst some of you people. How would you like it if you went out for a few drinks or whatever with some people from work, and they drugged you up and u wake up to one of them trying to unbutton your pants. Even if she is a party girl, I personally don’t know if she is or not, but is that an open invitation to be raped by anyone who wants a piece? Why are these men not charged with sex crimes? I know people who’ve gotten themselves on that list for much less. Her life is a media circus all because she decided to hang out with some people from her new job, sounds pretty fair right? burn her at the stake shall we? Jane, and anyone else who has said she deserved it, etc…i don’t want to say i hope this happens to you, but I kinda do, so that when it hits the news I can post a comment that says how much you deserved it and how I hope you never work again, etc….also I’d like to bring every mistake you’ve ever made to the public’s attention. thats fair right? By the way, what kind of politician shares a condo with 3 other grown men at age 30 or 40 or however old these guys were.
one more thing jane, can u predict rape? can u tell that far into the future when someone is going to try and take advantage of you? and why do you have to be a saint to get justice? ARe you saying this whole thing didn’t affect her life? Is it fair to say she deserves to be treated like trash because someone tried to make a move while she was passed out? can we treat you in this manner? maybe its just me but I’m pretty sure she didn’t want to get involved in something like this but when it happens to you what choice do you have? I suppose you’re ok with people who use date rape drugs on women as well. Also, I’m pretty sure she did exactly what you said, she got out, she walked away, and then she got legal counseling. Are you just looking for an argument here or what? p.s. last time i checked, as long as your over 21 your allowed to drink as much as you want, in reference to the story about her passed out in a car. First off, she was in the backseat, better than being in the driver seat right? second off, ever think maybe they were just chilling in the car because they were all too drunk to drive anywhere? and again, does that mean its an open invitation for any guy out there simply because she drinks? third off, did u ever stop and think maybe the two men might have been friends, or a boyfriend and an acquaintance possibly?
Have you read the latest Dispatch story:
Co-workers’ complaints
AG scandal’s two accusers now accused
Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:19 AM
http://www.columbusdispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/07/17/AG21.ART_ART_07-17-08_A1_N4AP9GH.html?sid=101
Sounds like the AG’s office needs to invest in a supply of pacifiers since these two girls (Saxton and Haske) can’t type while sucking on their thumbs. What a bunch of crap this is. And where is the department’s supervisor or manager…he/she should be fired for not being able to control his subordinates and allowing petty crap like this to even take place.
I think Saxton and Haske are so pissed off they didn’t come forward with their own harassment charges against Gutierrez in their testimonies to Ben Espy that they are now looking for attention any way they can get it. Even though you lied under oath girls, get a backbone and tell the truth about the harassment you endured and stop whining about being given dirty looks or whatever else you are claiming here…it’s petty and childish - reminds me of elementary school when I would hear girls cry because other more popular or prettier girls didn’t want to be their friends. Grow up.