Waiting For Trust To Come Back
The rule with Everybody Has A Story is: We never turn down a willing subject, no matter who they are, what they have to say, or, in this case, how disturbing their story is. CBS News Correspondent Steve Hartman reports.
Case in point: Terry Gibson, who says: "I've lost the respect of my family. I feel embarrassed in front of them. I feel embarrassed to even go out in public. Maybe it's time to get it all out in the open and get it over with."
Gibson is a part-time farmer with a bachelor's degree in agriculture. For years, he worked for the Metcalfe County Extension Service, where it was his job to visit small farms and offer advice. The service was free so most farmers were thrilled to see him drive up.
Most farmers.
Jean Daniels raises miniature horses – and seriously questions about Terry Gibson.
"I would watch for his truck coming and…go in the barn and hide behind the hay...where even if he came out to the barn, he wouldn't see me, and go away," she says, adding, "One of the things I did one time was pick up my cat...and he reaches over with his hand, 'Oh pretty kitty' and then from the kitty's head, his hand goes to my breast."
Jean says there were other, similar episodes over the course of four months, until one day, she told a friend, and got a lot more than sympathy.
"She says, 'You, too?' and I said, 'You're kidding. You mean I'm not the only one?'"
Last fall, five different women filed complaints of sexual harassment against Terry Gibson, all alleging he repeatedly made unwanted advances during his farm visits. Terry denies ever harassing anyone. But, to avoid getting fired, he resigned his position immediately.
Five women, same accusation. How does he explain that?
"Why did they all come down on me at one time? I don't know. Maybe they felt like they wanted to participate in national 'wreck-a-man's-life' day," he says.
His answer doesn't answer anything, at least as far as his wife's concerned.
Says Teresa Gibson, "One or two I could see; 5 or 6 – there's something going on… It lowers your self-esteem. What's wrong with me that he has to go find these affections somewhere else? You know."
And yet, she stays, waiting for the love and trust to return. She hopes that, with time, they will come back.
Does Terry Gibson think his marriage is going to last?
"I don't know," he says. "I hope it does. I want it to."
Terry now has a factory job. Puts pages into magazines. And every night, as he watches all the stories whiz by, Terry tries to figure some way to rewrite his.
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