Harassment at home

During her 10 years at Acme, Becky Braveheart worked her way up from a receiving dock clerk to traffic manager of the company’s main facility. During a phone call with Harry Handsfree, the traffic manager at another Acme site, Becky, a lesbian, heard a man over the speaker phone in the background asking, “How’s that broad doing?” The man also made some explicit remarks about Becky’s lack of interest in the opposite gender, which prompted Harry to hang up the phone quickly. But Becky called back to find out who made the comment. It was Barry Boorish, the shipping and receiving manager at Harry’s site, whom she had never met or even spoken to before. Becky and Harry met with Mike Midman, their division supervisor, to discuss Barry’s comment. During their meeting, Harry told Mike of other lewd and offensive remarks that Barry had made regarding Becky and her sexual orientation, as well as derogatory comments about another female traffic manager.

Mike placed Barry on administrative leave pending an investigation, pursuant to the company’s zero-tolerance harassment policy, and then demoted him from his managerial position. Several of Barry’s coworkers said they overheard Barry blame Becky for his demotion and threaten to retaliate against her. Barry exercised his seniority right to transfer to another position — a job working under Becky’s supervision.

“How could this situation have been prevented?”

Tom Nit and Jerry Witt, two Acme administrators, contacted Becky to inform her that Barry had been demoted, that he had not reacted well to the demotion, and that he would be transferring to her facility. Becky told Tom and Jerry that she was very apprehensive about supervising Barry and that she was frightened about doing so. Given Barry’s comments threatening retaliation, and, out of concern for her safety, Tom and Jerry told Becky to pack her belongings, leave the worksite, and not return to work. They placed her on paid administrative leave until they could “figure out where else to send” her.

The next morning, a man pounded on the front door of Becky’s home for almost an hour, yelling, “You cost me my job and I’m going to get you. Come out of there.” Becky didn’t call the police because the phone was right near the front door, and she was too afraid to go near it. Right after he left, though, she packed her bags, left town, and reported the incident to Tom and Jerry. Acme paid for Becky to stay at a hotel for eight days, but it did not investigate the incident or ask Barry if he was involved.

Tom and Jerry offered Becky a transfer out of state so that she wouldn’t have to supervise Barry. When she refused, they told her to meet with Heda Shrink, a psychiatrist, who diagnosed Becky with adjustment disorder, anxiety, occupational harassment, clinical depression, and increased blood pressure from the stress of the situation, and she was placed on paid medical leave for four months.

During her extended absence, Becky received anonymous, harassing phone calls almost daily from a man who kept calling her names and saying, “I’m not finished with you. I haven’t forgotten what you’ve done. Watch your back. I’m going to get you.” Although Becky changed her phone number three times, the calls persisted. She reported the calls to Mike and to Acme security, but the caller could not be identified because the calls were made from a private, blocked number, so they took no further action.

After she was cleared to return to work, Becky accepted a transfer back to her old job at the receiving dock at another Acme site — at a $35,000 a year pay cut — just to avoid Barry. Shortly after starting at the job, she received yet another threatening phone call. “Did you hear about Harry? Watch your back.” She found out later that Harry was attacked while out on the receiving dock; he was hit on the head from behind and was hospitalized for several days with a severe concussion. Becky reported this call to Mike and to Acme security, as well, but there was no follow-up about the incident. At this point, Becky initiated legal action.

Soon thereafter, a frazzled Becky began having car trouble. Fearful for her safety while driving an unreliable vehicle in light of the threats and the attack on Harry, she asked for permission to use the Acme van while her car was being repaired. Acme routinely let employees use the van when they had car trouble or had work-related errands. Two site supervisors approved her request. Little did she know, however, that Jerry had begun an investigation into her use of the company van. Then Becky was hauled in to a meeting with Tom to talk about her illness-related absences. When she explained that she had a doctor’s excuse, Tom said that Acme did not accept doctor-excused absences. The very next day, Becky was questioned extensively again, this time by Jerry, about her van usage. She was suspended without pay for improper use of the company vehicle and then fired. Becky added a retaliation claim to her pending lawsuit.