So here's how it happened

[la_belle_laide]

We've had sexual harassment problems from some clients at work--remember I posted about it a few posts ago--and it hit an all time low when they actually groped one of the young girls who works there. She was freaked and didn't want to file a report. I went to my friend's web page to chat, where I assumed it was private, and asked for advice, asking if there was anything I could personally do. I said that it was a difficult position because these disgusting people ran a newspaper and I mentioned the name of it.

The site was apparently not private, and someone thought it would be funny to go to their website and tell them that I had basically ratted them out for the groping, and the other harassing things they had done.

Then they started going to my journal and leaving me threatening messages there. Finally they called my boss at the animal hospital and badgered him until, he said, he had no choice but to let me go in favor of them leaving him alone.

So, I desperately need a job.

For all of you who work with me, there's one thing I need to ask of you: when baby birds come in, please please call Laura so that I can still continue to work with wild birds. That's one thing I do not want to give up. Can you do that for me?

Any thoughts, please let me know.

ETA: Things I think I need to remember just in case I have to, well, remember them.

The reason my boss gave me over the phone for firing me was, "This has caused me such a headache and I don't need that."

This happened to another employee years before, if I remember correctly. it was the brother of a guy who works there now. If memory serves (and no one who was there back then will ever confirm this,) some client came in and accused the guy of saying some rude thing to her. This guy was the gentlest most polite person ever and he of course denied it. The client was known to be a trouble maker. That guy got fired, too.

I'll probably think of more things later.

Another thing to remember: The last time before this when they boarded, they told one of the girls there that their bird likes to masturbate, and if they found out that they didn't let it finish, they would make sure she got fired.

Comments

[derumi.livejournal.com]

Aww, geez. :(

My condolences, and I hope you find work again soon. Can anything be done about the threats and harrassment?

[flamingchords.livejournal.com]

No, he didn't have "no choice."

He had a choice. He could have fucking stood up for you, and done what was right. He could have taken some fucking action against these people, not only on your behalf, but on behalf of the other people who still work there. There are laws he could have leaned on for support: these people were not only guilty of sexual harassment (and assault -- the legal definition of assault does include unwanted groping, even if no physical injury is inflicted), but stalking.

But no, that would have been too difficult, so he decided to just throw you under the fucking bus! And in doing so, he just sent a message to the other people working there: "don't make any waves, even if you're being sexually harassed, or you could get the sack, too!"

(Sorry. Just had a ginmar moment, there. But this is the sort of thing she'd say, and and as much as I hate to admit it, she'd be right.)

Those people need to die in a fire. And at the moment, I'm tempted to say the same of your former boss.

Having said that, I hope you find a new -- and better -- job quickly.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

You're right, and thank you so, so very much. Everything you said was right. From day one, he never stood up for us when these things would happen.

I also might have a case against the clowns, and the job, for wrongful termination.

Thank you Loki, your words gave me the fire I needed today!

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

I dunno, I actually am having my Da call his lawyer to see if I can get some advice. Thanks for reading my rant. :)

[flamingchords.livejournal.com]

Always glad to help. I hope you nail all of their asses to a fucking wall.

PS: may I post this in my LJ? In very general terms, obviously, so that I'm not outing you?

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

I don't mind at all if you post.

I'm not sure how much "nailing" I've got in me right now but what you said sure made a lot of sense and is making me want to do more.

And to do something better, too.

[danalwyn.livejournal.com]

Your boss just fired you in order to cover up cases of sexual harassment happening in his workplace.

...

I can't help you find a new job, but if you can get ahold of a lawyer, you may never have to work again.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

You just reminded me of the other thing I wanted to remember. When the girl who got groped told my boss, he said, "You know what you need? Maybe a week's paid vacation for having to deal with that."

The problem is, the girl will never speak up. Like, ever.

[skitty-kitty.livejournal.com]

You've got to be FUCKING KIDDING ME. They grope his employees, and he fires YOU? I know it sucks ass to be out of a job and it's scary, but a large part of me doesn't want you working for that fucking jack-ass. Seriously, as people have already pointed out, check with a lawyer to see if it'd be worth your time and money to go against these bastards, both the online if that's at all possible, and the ones you know RL. If your friend and anyone else is willing to speak on your behalf, you might have something.

I'm so sorry you have to be in this situation, but I am proud that you at least tried to figure out how to help your friend. At least you cared.

I'm going to go breathe in a paper bag now. ;p

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I know I'm totally ridiculously quixotic so much of the time and it does seem to backfire, but you're right. I needed out of that place and the fates decided that I wasn't moving fast enough.

The girl who got molested wants no part of it. I can't even really blame her, because I know exactly what that is like. You just want to forget it, you don't want anyone to know.

[hyenarave.livejournal.com]

I BELIEVE I AM GOING TO HAVE TO SLIT SOME THROATS.

am I slitting some throats here.

BECAUSE I WILL SLIT SOME THROATS.

those clowns need to be burned. seriously. I AM ANGRY. SO ANGRY I am angry enough for the BOTH OF US hrhrhrhjhgdkgdkjsdhj kstab stab kill.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

I know, me too. That's only half of it! Imagine getting fired over speaking out against sexual assault!

[reanimated.livejournal.com]

the boss needs to go in the fire first. what a fucking cocksucking sellout.

[reanimated.livejournal.com]

a-fucking-men. that guy needs to go down with the harrassers.

[reanimated.livejournal.com]

now you don't have to see your psycho "friend" anymore! ;-) seriously. she was a bitch too. sounds like nothing but assholes and idiots at that place.

and i'm sorry, but i've grown into too much of a bitch to relate to wanting to sweep that under the rug. i'd want everyone to know what a loser the asshole harrasser was.

[flamingchords.livejournal.com]

I didn't connect this to your other post when I first read it. Now that I have...

This guy sacked you over complaints FROM CLOWNS?

I could almost see it if he was terrified of going up against William Randolph Hearst or something -- calling them on their shit would STILL have been the right thing to do, but I'd have understood that he was afraid. But FUCKING CLOWNS?

I take it back. He needs to die in a fire first. Then the clowns. IN THAT ORDER.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Yup, it was the crazy, gross clowns. The thing is that ex-boss hates them. The last time they came in, he said that no women were to go near them at all and only one person was allowed to deal with them and it had to be a man. I thought, Well great, at least h's taking it seriously. But as soon as they called him up, he caved. "Oh, assault is nothing compared to complaining about assault on a website."

That's how it reads to me, anyway.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

No, I totally understand. The really harsh part is that most of the people who worked there were my closest friends. And you know how that changes once you don't work at a place anymore. That really sucks.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

I love your icon so hard.

[spotts1701.livejournal.com]

Your ex-boss just opened himself up to a hellacious amount of grief. I mean, those idiots couldn't do much to him besides harassment (and eventually, that does lead to the right to file a criminal complaint if they were interfering with his rights to conduct his business). But by sacking you for what amounts to "whistle-blowing", well...let's just say he better have one damn fine attorney because he's gonna get it with both barrels.

And if you do seek legal remedy, make sure to also get a lot of media attention about it. I know a couple of pro-women's blogs who would love to agitate about the insanity that has happened here.

*lots of hugs*

[reanimated.livejournal.com]

heheheh.

[reanimated.livejournal.com]

man can you write a letter to the newspaper naming names? fuck all of them. i say out them all.

[spatterdash.livejournal.com]

That is ragingly fucked up, i am so sorry to hear about this. :(

I hope you find another job soon, way better with a boss who supports the staff instead of criminals.

[lauraceleste.livejournal.com]

Jules, I'm ridiculously happy that you're gone from there. With everything that happened in the past that you've mentioned, it was definitely time. I'm not happy that it happened the way it did, but I'm very hopeful that something will come of it, and it will be positive for you. What the employer did was wrong, not only morally but LEGALLY, and he has to realize that.

You are so much better and more talented than that place. YAY! Go henceforth and rock the world :)

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much.

But see the thing is, without the girl it happened to making a report, nothing can really be done aside from me making ex-boss sweat it out. He thought it was easier to fire me because I'd go quietly. He has to know that he was wrong.

Legally though, there's nothing anyone can do without an actual police report of the sexual assault, and she's just not up to it. I get that, because I've been down that road myself.

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much. I'm looking, but first I'm going to mooch a little of his money in unemployment. He needs to make up for this in some way. ;)

[shonagonchan.livejournal.com]

Thank you, and I'll tell you what: once I got over the shock of him firing me over the phone and hanging up on me, and right before I started to get angry, what I really felt was relief. Then when I woke up today and didn't have to go back there? Overwhelming relief. It's weird, I'd been so happy there for so long, then in the last few months it was getting so ridiculously bad I could hardly stand walking through the door.

I just wish it had been on good terms, and on MY Terms.

[lauraceleste.livejournal.com]

Jules, for once I can totally understand and sympathize. I felt EXACTLY the same way when I left my old job. So much so that I read it and felt like it was me talking.

I can't wait to see where you go from here :)