Posted by Adam on November 30, 2000, at 12:32:17
In reply to Re: Thank you, all, posted by coral on November 23, 2000, at 7:37:14
Just as an update, and possible conclusion, things seem to have proceeded fairly smoothly. There was a big meeting of board members and employees. The meeting was not directly related to recent events, but the issues I raised above were discussed, and, per all of your suggestions, certain thorny legal and safety concerns were raised to good effect.
Disiformation has been tolerably neutralized, at least in the board. Eroded confidence among employees will probably take more time to rebuild, but folks are optimistic that concerted efforts or natural attrition (there tends to be high turnover in small-non-profits in entry-level postions) will fix this problem too.
Locks have been changed, and the resignation is now most definitely final.An attempt at re-hire some time in the future will not succeed under the current management.
Those in the know have confrimed my suspicions: The individual who caused the trouble attempted suicide, or so he says. What is clear is that his life was never in serious danger, so long as reasonably swift medical attention was available. It was, of course, which makes the question of intent rather moot. I remain highly suspicious of manipulative behavior, but I suppose I will never know for sure.
As for what will become of this person, I'm also not sure. He is physically well, from what I understand. His demeanor is outwardly cheerful, and references to the event are made matter-of-factly, as if it happened to someone else. Unfortunately for this person, I think his future may lie largely in his hands at this point, since he will be an outpatient soon. Now that he appears to be out of physical danger, I think the sad truth is he has burned so many bridges few who we know are inclined to maintain contact or offer assistance unbidden.
From what I understand, he is not prone to violence, though I don't think my girlfriend will be spending many nights alone for a while. Beyond what we're doing, I'm not sure there are any other angles to explore. It's largely done.
Again, I thany you all for your input. It actually was quite valuable, got the dialogue focused on some key issues, and likely expedited the appropriate actions. Give yourselves a hug and a pat on the back for me.
Adam
> I'm not an attorney but work with enough of them (a major law firm is one of my clients), and as I see it, the only potential liability now is with the employer. Once an unsafe condition is identified, the liability for the employer increases tremendously. So, it's not what you posted here that would create liability because you have protection under the First Amendment, and beyond that, you're entitled to your own feelings.
>
> I don't recommend being dishonest with your girlfriend due to potential damage to your personal relationship. Furthermore, her safety is what is in jeopardy here - psychologically, at least, and we hope that doesn't progress to any physical harm. I can't tell you the number of times employees, employers, friends, etc., have said to me, "Oh, geez, yeah, I thought he was dangerous but didn't want to make waves." In one particularly horrific situation, a supervisor knew threats had been made, did nothing other than just "listen", and the employee was killed. While it's not the fault of the supervisor that a murder happened, the guilt this man lives with will haunt him for the rest of his life. In these situations, an organization is consistently far better off to act now, rather than waiting. When someone's dead, it's too late, for everyone concerned.
poster:Adam
thread:3090
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20001117/msgs/3343.html