You can almost hear the swishing noises in the back of muckety-muck offices at work places that would rather sweep their filthy dirt under the rug than toss it in the trash.
News Flash – this is happening in more places than you think. Of course, this isn’t happening everywhere, that is never the case. However, I have been getting messages from employees of several male dominated agencies where this same thing is happening at an alarming rate. On the outside leaders are singing the song of zero tolerance and promising to support victims, but behind the scenes, they are crapping their pants and coming up with ways they can twist situations around to protect themselves. It has me wondering, are they protecting themselves or has there been a management culture created to where they actually think they are protecting the agency?
Let’s face it, it looks a whole lot better if reports show there were several unfounded reports of harassment than a few founded ones demanding discipline. It looks much better on your performance review if you identified and dealt with a few liars, crying like babies that they felt harassed, then if you actually have to admit there’s a problem under your command. Ten whining women that you had to shut up and force into a dark corner with a dunce cap is far better than one agency riveting conviction. It is really starting to come down to logic the more I look into it. Where is the motivation to do the hard right over the easy comfortable wrong?
We are getting reports of women not only speaking up, but having other highly respected men speak up in their defense and the superior who is identified with deciding if there is actually a problem or not, turn a blind eye and almost, word for word in official response say, “nothing to see here.” You see, if these individuals who are given this power have nothing to win by admitting that there may be a problem. If they can find any teeny shadow of a doubt, with or without official inquiry, or find a way to pretend they never heard it… They will. Here is the kicker, these managers, superiors, chiefs, sergeants, whatever the situation calls for, they aren’t always men. Women are doing this to women, because gender has nothing to do with the desire to prevent a black eye. Turns out… Black eyes don’t get bonuses.
Do you have an experience to share? A duty location to mention? Feel free to share details, we simply ask that you only share the truth. Without your honesty none of this matters. You can do so anonymously here in the comments or send a confidential email to truth@upinflames.org
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