Sexual Harassment From A Male Manager, And The Ceo/owner Told Me I Asked For It. Should I Seek Legal Counsel?
So I'd like to preface this my stating that I live in Pennsylvania, but I work in Maryland.
A member of management has been making me drive him (35M) around in my personal vehicle without any additional compensation to do tasks for the company. I thought this would be 1 single trip thinking, "No biggie, I'll be a team player and take him to where we need him to be." Since then, it has become constant for the last month. This occurs at lease once a week, occasionally a few times per week. I have complained about doing this without compensation, and I was brushed off. Typically, he and I have great rapport, so we got along really well until I felt my personal vehicle and I were being taken advantage of.
Last Wednesday, he asked me to take him to the auto shop so he could pick up the company truck from being repaired. I asked him to come up with some music preferences for the ride, because he is always so quiet aside from complaints about my driving. I asked him not to complain about my driving, because beggars can't be choosers. My vehicle, my fuel funds, my rules. What proceeded was a wildly annoying car ride with constant, loud complaints about my driving, car dancing that shook the entire vehicle as it went down the freeway, and... to top it all off... HE UNBUCKLED HIS PANTS, PULLED THEM DOWN TO HIS KNEES, AND BARE ASSCHEEK FARTED ON MY PASSENGER SEAT.
As soon as I heard the belt buckle jingle, I asked him, "What the fuck are you doing?" And I could not believe the rest of it. All I could do was think about losing my job for leaving him stranded on the freeway, so I chuckled it off, cranked the music up and ignored it, listening to him sing along to whatever song he decided to put on next. We came back, went on Thanksgiving break, and came back on Monday.
I told my own boss, who also happens to be my aunt (50s, F), that I will never be driving him anywhere else in the future, and we have mildly argued this since Monday. Flash forward to Wednesday of this week, I was forced to bring up the topic again because I refused to drive him anywhere. She asked why I have been so hell-bent on my stance since then, and I told her what had happened. I was offered compensation for the miles driven, but the issue with the male manager was taken higher up to the owner ofbthe company (we do not have an HR department)
The owner of our company came in today and pulled me into his car to discuss what happened, which is hilarious because being alone in a car was what got me into this situation to begin with. He was apologetic, sympathetic, and assured me that he would handle the situation properly. He also went to discuss the accusation with said male manager to get his side of what happened.
What ensued was a very awkward meeting in which both the accused (him) and the accuser (myself) and my own manager were all pulled into a room with the owner of our company. He spoke directly to me first, stating, (and I quote) "You need to stop inviting these things to happen to you." He didn't have much to say to the male manager at the time, but he did make a comment about "whether or not she's telling the truth." He put us both on a "probationary period" with no definition or context as to what that entails. He's also trying to make us all sign a new policy next week stating that when situations such as these occur, 1 or both parties will be terminated.
I am NOT signing that document, and I'll be keeping the form as evidence, however, I didn't think to record the meeting with the 4 of us in the locked office. And I have no proof that what he did actually occurred. The only way I could get proof is if subaru can pull the video/audio footage from inside of my car when it happened. There are eyesight cameras and a microphone for phone calls/starlink, but I dont know how to get the footage if it's even recorded. Needless to say, that manager is considering quitting and cleaned out his desk before leaving today. He said he'd be back on Monday, which I think may be a lie. Even if that guy leaves, I don't know that I can work for somebody that handles these issues with a "blame the woman" mindset.
I can't afford a lawyer, and I'm the lowest paid full-time employee despite being an administrator. The only person who makes less is our part-time intern. Do I even have any options?
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