What is the proper course of action when a subordinate threatens to falsely claim sexual harassment?

Question

I know the military has to stamp out sexual harassment, but how do you maintain order and discipline when a goldbrick is making false claims? How do you protect careers of innocent leaders? What's the official US military policy and how well does it work?

Answer 1

I've been out since 1999 so not sure if they've updated any policies or procedures regarding how to protect yourself from sexual harassment claims when you find yourself in such a situation but at the time the course of action was as follows.....

By the way, threats of filing sexual harassment charges are, in and of themselves, sexual harassment. They may also, if filed, come under other various regulations such as malingering, fraud, etc. depending on whether the guilty party is threatening said charges in an attempt to avoid certain or all duties (malingering), puts the alleged charges in writing (fraud, false report), or just how things manifest themselves.

Report the incident to your superior IN WRITING immediately spelling out all the details. Name of offender, time, place, any witnesses (you could only be so lucky), what was said by them and you to the best of your recollection....and put that down "to the best of my recollection" rather than trying to remember and quote every little detail....in a future legal proceeding any quotes you make will be labored upon by the defense in an attempt to get you to waiver in any little way on what was said to try to sway the jury into reasonable doubt.

Be sure that your charges are filed, taken seriously, and investigated. A "sting" would work well if the command will go along with it. Ask but don't hold your breath for that.

Aside from that, there isn't much you can do except document EVERYTHING. Ensure that there is another or your peers or their superiors in the room during any counselling.

Good luck. I once had a good friend (female) who was brought up on sexual harassment charges by her superior who heard about an incident that had happened during a watch detail in a huricane. She had sucked the air out of a gatorade bottle to impress the others present. No sexual words were spoken, no one was offended, but everyone was impressed. One of the people present was relaying the story to a friend and was overheard by my friends female superior who filed charges against my friend saying she was offended.

The charges were FINALLY dropped after nearly a year but in the mean time she had been disqualified from promotion (and not retroactively promoted when the charges were dropped) as well as having been "on the edge" for the entire time the charges were out there.

Sexual harassment was, may still be, a problem in the military but at the end of my career the problem had become one of witch hunts and blackmail because of OVER emphasis on the problem.

Good Luck.

Answer 2

Sexual harassment has been blown way out of share for years. as quickly because it began getting used as a gadget for paying for forward or revenge that's as quickly as we could continually have began to stress. Now that 5 365 days olds are being accused of it we could continually be in finished panic mode. All of that via fact of a pinch? Come on how elementary have we gotten as quickly as we can't understand that a toddler that doesn't understand intercourse won't be able to have reason to dedicate a sexual crime. under the regulation reason to dedicate against the regulation is very substantial or a minimum of it was once. we are residing in a time in spite of the undeniable fact that that makes it abuse if a guy watches soccer each and every Sunday. So pass determine.

Answer 3

The leader should keep copious MFRs [memorandum for record] and never be around that soldier without a witness, if possible. Also, report the threat throught their own chain of command. CYA as much as possible.

Answer 4

I would recommend that you cooperate with the investigation. We had one of these in my squadron, and after the investigation, turned out that she was dating someone in her own workcenter and HE broke it off, to prevent trouble.

To be honest with you, as bad as the guys were, she was worse.

Once the investigation was concluded, the accusations were dismissed, and she spent the last 18 months of her enlistment being bounced around because she was 'hot potato'

Answer 5

call bill handel on the radio

Answer 6

call a lawyer.