Blind-Sided by Accusation
My question involves labor and employment law for the state of: Arizona
I will try to make this as consise as possible. I really need some help with this. Makes for what I think is an interesting story anyway.
I am a DA Civilian that works as a teacher on a military base. This last Friday our office was brought together as a whole, and told that there were some sexual harassment issues going on, the people involved would be dealt with, and everybody else not involved needs to make they just continue doing the right thing.
Later on Friday I have two supervisors come to me, pull me aside, and say they would like to hear my side of the story. I'm dumbfounded because I had no idea I was involved in this. I inform them of this, and they say basically, somebody said you were involved in some sort of sexual harassment. They don't tell me who, and they say they don't have details. I tell them I can't think of anything I've done that could've been made an issue. It is left at that.
Even later on Friday another supervisor of mine pulls me from my desk and tells me that I am going to be in trouble for sexual harassment along with three other people, Mr. A, B, and C. All four of us will be talked to together by the man in charge of the schoolhouse. While waiting I talk to my supervisor about the issue since I don't know anything. He tells me that a memo was submitted by a woman (I have since found out who this woman is, and she is actually a very good confidant of mine who I trust my life to). This memo she wrote tells of instense sexual harassment that she has been subjected to. She names Mr. A, B, and C in her memo but I am named no where in it. (No suprise to me since she and I are on great terms, and have an excellent co-worker relationship with her)
I ask the next obvious question. Why am I here if I wasn't named? My supervisor does not know why other than he was told somebody else other than my co-worker who wrote the memo, has now accussed me of something, sometime since our first morning meeting. No specifics, nothing in writing, just somebody threw my name out there as a sexual harasser.
Now I'm lumped in with Mr. A, B, and C even though I'm not even tied in to THEIR case.
Friday ends with the head of the schoolhouse saying that he does not have time to talk with us that day. I am told to leave, still in the dark on what I am specifically doing here, and told that on Monday morning I will show up to work, be escorted to my desk to empty it, and put in another building with Mr. A, B, and C where we will do odd jobs until our fate is determined.
My issues are many:
1. The stress my supervisors have put me under over this weekend is unbelievable.
2. Specifics of my case is evidently unknown other than somebody said my name, but I'm being visibly (in front of my fellow co-workers) being associated with the other men who's case does not even have my name in it, thus associating me with that case.
3. First thing Monday I am being escorted to my desk in front of everybody to empty it. I suppose once my name is cleared I will be returned to work, but the humiliation has already been done in front of my co-workers.
4. Without getting into the office rumors I've been able to get my hands on evidently some of what I'm going to be personally facing will require me to discuss many negative things regarding the failings of middle managament (people who in positions of authority over me). Now if I clear my name and go back to work I am in an environment where I now work under people who will know I "ratted" them out. Where I work is small and there is no way to really move me out from under these people.
To sum it up, it seems my work has put me in a position of undo stress, humiliation/embarrassment in front of coworkers, and even to get things straightened out they have forced me to turn my work enviroment into a hostile environment where I see no way I could continue working there even once they allow me back.
I really feel my only option is to sue, and attempt to move on to another job. Do I have a case?
Thank you to anybody who has the time to help me.
Re: Blind-Sided by Accusation
I don't see any basis for a lawsuit. On what basis do you think you can file one? The governing federal EEO law requires an employer to conduct an inquiry into an allegation of sexual harassment, but does not provide any special rights for the alleged harasser or state how the inquiry must be conducted.
I'm not sure what a DA Civilian is? If you are a federal government employee with enough service, you may have civil service protection. You need to determine what is required to temporarily remove you from your job and to discipline someone with your employment status and the procedures that must be followed.
You can always request that your employer provide you with the details of what you are being accused, the name of your accuser and the basis. Whether it has to do so, depends upon your employment status and rights.