Community Ties: When Employers Become the Danger

Parents like to believe that work is a safe place for their kids to grow up. A job scooping fries at the golden arches, folding shirts at the mall, or babysitting a toddler across the street carries the promise of independence and a paycheck. We’ve woven it into our cultural fabric: teenagers learning responsibility, savings accounts opened with that first deposit, college applications sprinkled with “part-time work” in the activities section. But what if those very environments—restaurants, retail counters, living rooms—are where the danger really lives?

The uncomfortable truth is that employers, whether multinational corporations or neighborhood parents, have been at the center of some of the most devastating cases of sexual abuse of teenagers. Yet public policy and the registry system keep looking elsewhere. We track strangers on maps and pile up restrictions around bus stops while ignoring the places where teens actually spend their hours: in uniforms, behind counters, in stockrooms, or in someone else’s home.

The Arches and the Courts

In Delmont, Pennsylvania, a 15-year-old McDonald’s worker alleged she was sexually assaulted on the job by a manager. Her lawsuit against the franchise and its parent company painted a picture of a workplace where minors were inadequately supervised and safeguards failed. The golden arches, presented as a rite of passage for teens, had become a setting for trauma.

The Burrito Chain’s Billions

Chipotle has spent years cultivating an image of sustainability, youth, and vibrancy. But in Sammamish, Washington, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sued Chipotle after a 16-year-old worker alleged repeated harassment and abuse by her 29-year-old manager. The teen reported unwelcome sexual comments and touching—yet was still scheduled on closing shifts with the alleged harasser. KIRO7’s local coverage shows investigators saw systemic breakdowns, not a one-off.

The Face of the Brand

Even when abuse happens outside the store, corporations cannot wash their hands. Subway learned that lesson with longtime spokesman Jared Fogle, who was ultimately sentenced to more than fifteen years in federal prison for child sex crimes. Long before his arrest, concerns about his behavior surfaced, including reports that a franchisee warned the company years in advance.

“If a company builds a brand on trust, it owes more than plausible deniability when that trust is betrayed.”

Abercrombie and the Culture of Power

At Abercrombie & Fitch, image and ambition became a vector for abuse. In 2023, former models filed a lawsuit alleging CEO Mike Jeffries operated a sex-trafficking scheme. In 2024, federal prosecutors indicted Jeffries (he has pleaded not guilty). Prestige doesn’t equal protection—oversight does.

The Babysitter Next Door & Familial Betrayal

The danger isn’t always corporate. Sometimes it’s across the street. In New Hampshire, Ernest Willis hired a 15-year-old congregant to babysit—then abused that trust and was convicted and sentenced to 15–30 years. In Illinois, Victor Reyes-Jacobo pled guilty to sexually assaulting his son’s teenage babysitter, and received a 10-year sentence (local coverage).

The Pattern That Keeps Repeating

Across fast-food counters, burrito chains, brand empires, and babysitting jobs, the theme is consistent: authority + access = vulnerability. Teens often lack bargaining power and legal literacy. Employers control schedules and paychecks—and sometimes the narrative if a complaint is made.

Pulling Back the Comfort Blanket

The SOLAR position is clear: registries are ineffective, harmful, and misdirected. If safety is the goal, prevention has to live where risk lives:

The Takeaway

We tell ourselves that jobs and chores build responsibility. But they also reveal the character of employers—whether that’s a multinational brand, a CEO, or the neighbor across the street.

“Dots on a map won’t stop abuse on a closing shift—or in a living room labeled ‘safe.’”

We can cling to the illusion that registry maps equal safety—or look squarely at where danger actually lives. Until we do, we’ll keep missing what these cases keep teaching.