L
lilostitch
Guest
Falsely accused, forced to resign
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Arizona
Please please please read this as it has been haunting me for a little while and will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. Thanks,
I’m 24 and worked for a school district in a high school as an admin assistant. Earlier in the school year I was accused of letting a female student put her hands in my pockets which was entirely false. I was summoned to the principal’s office and had a chance to explain what really happened. I denied it and said a student had wanted to see my school ID, which everyone must wear around their necks, most of them to make sure I am not a student and am really a staff member. I took off my ID and put it in my pocket which the student might have been going for but I blocked her with my opposite forearm as she stuck an arm out and then removed myself from the situation. I asked, along with many of my coworkers, as to who had “told” and no one would tell me and in fact they told me they could not tell me. I have my suspicion that it may have been another student making the accusation. The principal said to stay away from this student. I did what I could to avoid her and any kind of situation like that again.
Then one day after school the female student approached me as I was heading out to practice, I volunteer coach. This was the third time in a week that she had found me in school and came to talk to me. I had been able to keep away from her for 3 weeks or so. I had had enough of being bothered by this student and so I listened to what she had to say after she approached me and then I told her that we could not continue to run into each other like this and that I didn’t want this to continue as I didn’t want her to keep coming up to me and talking to me. She nodded her head in agreement of what I was saying. I wished her well and said bye. At practice the school principal came out and pretty much belittled me in front of the other coaches and players, using explicative’s and such. I felt humiliated in front of everyone as the principal was yelling at me and the only thing I got from the principal as to why he was doing this to me is that someone saw me talking to this female student and he wanted to see me in his office the following morning.
I went many times throughout the next day looking for the principal and it wasn’t until I went to clock out that he finally took the time to see me. He told me to come to the district office the next day at 10am. Then he told me I was dismissed and not to go to practice and not to come to work the following day, just the 10am meeting. It wasn’t until the meeting finally started that he then told me a parent had come to him and told him that the female student and I were holding hands. Again they would not tell me who had made this complaint. Later on he said “parents” had told him. I myself find it very hard to believe a parent had done this but I won’t get into that. I unwaveringly denied that the student and I were holding hands. In fact, I said that I was standing up while the female student was sitting for 99% of the time we talked, a total of about 3-5 mins. Then he and the head of HR, who was the third party witness, started asking me a bunch of questions. I answered them all truthfully, a little hesitant at giving the whole truth at first honestly because I was scared at what was going on but I gave all the truth by the end. Throughout the process the principal kept belittling me again by calling me either stupid or naive and kept saying he didn’t believe a word of what I had said. I also believe he asked me many questions that were intended to “railroad” me and I had to keep saying, “no, that’s not what happened” etc. . . He also threatened me many times by saying he would call the cops or have them sent to my house. During the questioning they thought I had done enough to require me to resign.
There were many students that I had come to know in the 2+ years I had worked there and often saw some of them outside of school and on campus. I had seen this female student off campus a couple times at a local gym that many of the other teachers and students use. Long story short they forced me to resign, and the principal said if I ever came on campus again he would arrest me and I could have nothing to do with the school ever again . . . so no coaching.
I know my state is an at will state so they can fire me for any reason. My main problem is I feel like I was singled out. One of the teachers screams and cusses at students while at practice, enough to bring some to tears, and sometimes in front of the principal mind you. Some of these male coaches get full embracing hugs from female students while at practice or games. At games and after games at places to eat I’ve seen female teachers fully hug male students and vise versa. I’ve seen other coaches give students rides to and from practice and other things yet nothing has happened to anyone else, like trips to the principal’s office for questioning, like it did to me.
I asked the head of HR about these other situations with teachers and students and was answered with them telling me that because of their age (the other teachers) that the school district doesn’t really “assume” that anything is going on. I took that as a 35 yr old teacher isn’t going to do something with a high school student. Another person I told took it as a teacher who has been with the district a long time. So they singled me out because I am too young? Either way though that would mean they don’t enforce their policies uniformly. I found this verdict while doing my research, Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner v. Kohler Co. I don’t know what it means to me in regards to my situation but I think it’s similar in some aspects.
In the school board’s policy manual it says that the supervisor, in this case the principal, “. . . recommend to the Superintendent dismissal for cause. The Superintendent will review the charges and factual evidence, make recommendation to the Board, and notify the employee in writing of the administrator's recommendation to dismiss for cause.” In my case the principal just forced me to resign.
Some things just don’t add up either. Like the head of HR telling the principal to keep everything from the meeting in the room or someone telling my co-workers that it would be best not to contact me, which none of them have. Are they trying to hide something and prevent it from getting out?
So can I be “fired” (I didn’t have a choice as to resigning) after being falsely accused, which I adamantly denied and then railroaded by more questions? And again, I feel singled out with all that happens at the high school and that perhaps the principal didn’t follow correct procedures in handling my case? Anyway, I would appreciate any responses that could help me out with any recourse to clearing my name and really appreciate you taking the time to read this and helping me out. Thank you.
What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? Arizona
Please please please read this as it has been haunting me for a little while and will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. Thanks,
I’m 24 and worked for a school district in a high school as an admin assistant. Earlier in the school year I was accused of letting a female student put her hands in my pockets which was entirely false. I was summoned to the principal’s office and had a chance to explain what really happened. I denied it and said a student had wanted to see my school ID, which everyone must wear around their necks, most of them to make sure I am not a student and am really a staff member. I took off my ID and put it in my pocket which the student might have been going for but I blocked her with my opposite forearm as she stuck an arm out and then removed myself from the situation. I asked, along with many of my coworkers, as to who had “told” and no one would tell me and in fact they told me they could not tell me. I have my suspicion that it may have been another student making the accusation. The principal said to stay away from this student. I did what I could to avoid her and any kind of situation like that again.
Then one day after school the female student approached me as I was heading out to practice, I volunteer coach. This was the third time in a week that she had found me in school and came to talk to me. I had been able to keep away from her for 3 weeks or so. I had had enough of being bothered by this student and so I listened to what she had to say after she approached me and then I told her that we could not continue to run into each other like this and that I didn’t want this to continue as I didn’t want her to keep coming up to me and talking to me. She nodded her head in agreement of what I was saying. I wished her well and said bye. At practice the school principal came out and pretty much belittled me in front of the other coaches and players, using explicative’s and such. I felt humiliated in front of everyone as the principal was yelling at me and the only thing I got from the principal as to why he was doing this to me is that someone saw me talking to this female student and he wanted to see me in his office the following morning.
I went many times throughout the next day looking for the principal and it wasn’t until I went to clock out that he finally took the time to see me. He told me to come to the district office the next day at 10am. Then he told me I was dismissed and not to go to practice and not to come to work the following day, just the 10am meeting. It wasn’t until the meeting finally started that he then told me a parent had come to him and told him that the female student and I were holding hands. Again they would not tell me who had made this complaint. Later on he said “parents” had told him. I myself find it very hard to believe a parent had done this but I won’t get into that. I unwaveringly denied that the student and I were holding hands. In fact, I said that I was standing up while the female student was sitting for 99% of the time we talked, a total of about 3-5 mins. Then he and the head of HR, who was the third party witness, started asking me a bunch of questions. I answered them all truthfully, a little hesitant at giving the whole truth at first honestly because I was scared at what was going on but I gave all the truth by the end. Throughout the process the principal kept belittling me again by calling me either stupid or naive and kept saying he didn’t believe a word of what I had said. I also believe he asked me many questions that were intended to “railroad” me and I had to keep saying, “no, that’s not what happened” etc. . . He also threatened me many times by saying he would call the cops or have them sent to my house. During the questioning they thought I had done enough to require me to resign.
There were many students that I had come to know in the 2+ years I had worked there and often saw some of them outside of school and on campus. I had seen this female student off campus a couple times at a local gym that many of the other teachers and students use. Long story short they forced me to resign, and the principal said if I ever came on campus again he would arrest me and I could have nothing to do with the school ever again . . . so no coaching.
I know my state is an at will state so they can fire me for any reason. My main problem is I feel like I was singled out. One of the teachers screams and cusses at students while at practice, enough to bring some to tears, and sometimes in front of the principal mind you. Some of these male coaches get full embracing hugs from female students while at practice or games. At games and after games at places to eat I’ve seen female teachers fully hug male students and vise versa. I’ve seen other coaches give students rides to and from practice and other things yet nothing has happened to anyone else, like trips to the principal’s office for questioning, like it did to me.
I asked the head of HR about these other situations with teachers and students and was answered with them telling me that because of their age (the other teachers) that the school district doesn’t really “assume” that anything is going on. I took that as a 35 yr old teacher isn’t going to do something with a high school student. Another person I told took it as a teacher who has been with the district a long time. So they singled me out because I am too young? Either way though that would mean they don’t enforce their policies uniformly. I found this verdict while doing my research, Equal Employment Opportunity Commissioner v. Kohler Co. I don’t know what it means to me in regards to my situation but I think it’s similar in some aspects.
In the school board’s policy manual it says that the supervisor, in this case the principal, “. . . recommend to the Superintendent dismissal for cause. The Superintendent will review the charges and factual evidence, make recommendation to the Board, and notify the employee in writing of the administrator's recommendation to dismiss for cause.” In my case the principal just forced me to resign.
Some things just don’t add up either. Like the head of HR telling the principal to keep everything from the meeting in the room or someone telling my co-workers that it would be best not to contact me, which none of them have. Are they trying to hide something and prevent it from getting out?
So can I be “fired” (I didn’t have a choice as to resigning) after being falsely accused, which I adamantly denied and then railroaded by more questions? And again, I feel singled out with all that happens at the high school and that perhaps the principal didn’t follow correct procedures in handling my case? Anyway, I would appreciate any responses that could help me out with any recourse to clearing my name and really appreciate you taking the time to read this and helping me out. Thank you.
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