As a young, female journalist, I’m used to expecting the unexpected, preparing to jump at a moment’s notice. But when a man put his hands on me at a city council meeting, I froze.
At the Wimberley City Council meeting on June 15, the city’s consideration of a historic district was a hot-button issue. Citizens gave impassioned speeches during the public hearing with lawyer-prepared remarks and lawyers present. Once the public hearing ended, the council moved on to the next item, and most of the residents left. I followed them out, giving a couple of them my card before retaking my seat inside.
One of the men I gave my card to walked back in a moment later. He came up to me, grabbing me by the side of my face. His hand on my left side, his body to my front and my chair back to my right, I felt trapped. He didn’t seem mad at me; he seemed mad at the situation, the city. But he kept holding my head in place, whispering expletives for the next few minutes.
