• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

What do you do when no one will speak up about physical and verbal harrasment?

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

djsmith

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Maryland

I have been working for a dealership since March 2006. When I began working there my manager began making sexual advances towards me. I turned him down and he got worse. He than began to make fun of my clothes, calling me names "fat, ruthless Bi>>>, WH>>>, asking about my private and sex life, making derogatory comments about my boyfriend who also works for the company and whispering sexual comments in my ear of what he would do to me. There has been on several occasions where a co-worker and I are having a conversation and my boss gets very angry and starts to yell and scream at any guy for talking to me. I have been told by my boss not to talk to anyone and if I need anything I have to go to him and he better not catch me speaking to the GM of the store. Anytime that he see's me speaking to someone other than a customer he gets very angry and yells and screams at me and the other person making it very clear that our jobs are on the line.

At first I was so distraught and upset I did not know what to do. I kept my mouth shut and did not say anything in fear that of losing my job, would my actions would reflect upon my boyfriend position with the company(he has been with them for 8years)? I just wanted to fit in since I just started and hoped that this guy would leave me alone. I began to eventually break under the harrasement. I began to cry sometimes when he yelled at me and would sometimes yell back. It seemed that my crying would just fuel the fire. He began to make fun and laugh at me crying. I tried to stand up for myself and when I did that he began to call me "Lawsuit". My nickname for several months was "LS" for lawsuit, and he would constantly ridicule me by saying "Awww, what are you going to cry now, LS!" Derogatory comments followed for several months.

I had confided in a friend who works for the company about what was going on, he told the sexual harrasement officer at the corporate office. The harrassment officer of the company contacted me and I broke down and told him everything. I wrote a written greivance to report what my boss has been doing. There was a investigation and during the investigation the company had promised that my boss would leave me alone/no longer bother me. During the meeting of the GM, harrasement officer and VP of the company kept asking me what I want to happen out of this and I asked to be transferred to another store and was told "no" by the vp of the company. In conclusion to the investigation during this meeting they had said that my boss had not meant that I couldn't speak to my GM just not to bother him with little questions. They had also said that not one of the employees confirmed what I had been thru. I told them I had no problem taking a lie detector test for any of this, as a matter of fact I was willing to do one. They said that my boss would have to take anger management/sensitivity classes and he would no longer bother me.

Well that lasted for all about a few weeks. It started slowly, first by treating any co-worker that spoke to me badly and threating there job for other reasons. I was written up for being 3 minutes late and when I asked why the other employees weren't written up? They then started writting up the other employees. My boss then started to treat my customers badly. He changed my security profile so I could not do portions of my job and when I said something to my GM he told him to change it back. My boss took a week to change it back and started to treat me worse by beginning to yell at me again when no one was around. He began to ridicule me again and started telling my other co-workers that I was the demise to my boyfriend career and my boyfriend was goign to get fired from the company. Well, my GM went on vacation and for a week and that's when he started to scream and yell at me. He would yell at me infront of customers across the showroom, he would yell at my customers while speaking to them over then phone. The worst time he actually followed me outside and began screaming/spitting in my face, when I tried to get away from him he followed me inside and continued to scream in my face and then followed me back outside still screaming. I just couldn't take it anymore and called the harrasement officer. I told him what was going on and that I was quitting. He told me to stay until my GM got back from vacation. That following monday my GM came back and I told him what had happened. He began to get angry and kept saying that they gave me a job and let me keep it, that no one has confirmed anything that I was saying and that my boss told him I do not respect him and that I was uncontrollable. I told him that was not the case that I was greatful for the opportunity but I could not work in this type of enviroment. The GM asked if anyone would confirm what I was saying now and I told him a few names of people I thought might actually stand up. He brought one of the guys in the office with me and that guy did confirm the yelling and obsene gestures my boss had done. My GM kept saying "I don't understand what you expect me to do?" The harrasement officer came down that day told me to write another greivance form. I quit later that day.

I understand that even thou they (corporate) said my boss would leave me alone they can not controll his actions. I believe it was unevitable that he could not controll himself and even thou I told them that they re-assured me that I would be fine. So if no one will stand up except maybe one or two guys then what? If supposedly no one will confirm what I had said then why did they send to anger management/sensitivity classes? I do not believe this guy should be abe to get away with this. He will keep harrassing woman and as long as they turn him down it will be the same thing over and over again. I was told by another co-worker that worked with him at another place that he was fired for harrasing another girl at another dealership. Now I know that is just hear say but I believe there is some truth to that story. I looked up this guys criminal record and he has an restraining order against him and charges for violating it as well. My boyfriend has had some retalliation coming fro the Vp of the company that was involved in this as well. So should I sue? and do I have a case just based on what I am saying since no one else will really stand up or get involved?
 


mitousmom

Member
You should read the information EEOC has on its website regarding sexual harassment at http://www.eeoc.gov/types/sexual_harassment.html. In short, your employer must take appropriate steps to ensure that harassing behavior does not recur. If its unwilling to do that, you need to consult with EEOC. Hopefully, you submitted a letter of resignation outlining specifically that you resigned because of the manager's continuing harassment and your employer's failure to stop it.
 

djsmith

Junior Member
I called the EEOC, they said a field agent will contact me with in 2 weeks. In the meantime I have the sexual harasment officer of the compay contacting me for another greivance letter. Should I bother with doing another greivance letter? Or should I just wait till the EEOC contacts me or speak to a lawyer? Thankyou in advance for your help.
 

bintiha2

Junior Member
I would keep documented occurances (dates, times, witness's names, location of the "attack", what was said / done) and would then relay this information to both the EEOC and to the manager of HR.

How well does this person who is harassing you know the GM of the dealership? If he doesn't know him / her at all, include them in a letter to HR / EEOC. If he is good friends with him, hold off on this idea and just send the letter to EEOC.

Oh, and keep the information where this manager can't get to it (like at home) and make sure to update EEOC on everything.

Good luck with your case. I hope you earn the results you are looking for.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top