Dear Justice

By Justice · The Mainstream
Published February 8, 2012

Dear Justice

A long time ago I was accused of sexual harassment at my place of employment. However, the person accusing me brought forward false accusations.

I am married and wanted nothing to do with them and left the place of employment, because accusation is all it seems to take to get a conviction these days.

Now, I find myself in the same classroom as the person who falsely accused me. I am the type of person that gives apologies where they are due. This person will not get an apology from me by falsely accusing me.

I fear my education is being threatened by this person’s presence. I have come too far to be falsely accused by this person. I like the class I am in and really don’t want to just drop it. However, since this person has joined the class, I have begun to be harassed again. I have my wife’s full confidence; she knows the person too and has a low opinion of them. She was actually a witness to the harassment I received from this person. Do I just throw my future away because of this person? Do I really need to leave myself vulnerable to more false accusations from this person? What do I do to save my future career?

Scared and Confused at UCC

Dear Scared and Confused,

Most of the time when I hear the words, “A long time ago,” my advice is to let the past go and move on. However, you mention that the harassment has again begun and you’re stuck in the same class as the person doing the alleged harassing. This changes things. First of all, the most important thing is that you are safe.

 If you feel that you are being harmed or threatened in any way, please contact the authorities and student services immediately. You can never be too careful.

 If your safety is not at risk and this person is just causing you a constant annoyance, I encourage you to speak to your instructor in private, just in case the situation escalates in the future. Besides talking to your instructor, you may want to have a grown-up conversation with this person. Let them know that your education is important to you and that you will not be bullied out of your class. Tell the person right away that you will not tolerate any harassment and establish a boundary from the very beginning.  Be consistent with the boundary. If all goes well it will not be crossed and you may be able to get through the class without a problem. If the person still insists on causing trouble and your instructor is already aware of the, again go back to student services for assistance.

I understand that this is a very uncomfortable situation to be in. I wish you the best.

Justice

This column is for information only and NOT a substitute for professional diagnosis and treatment