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[red_queen]

Goodness, Onion! You really called your chair an a$$hole at a department meeting? I recall on another thread you mentioned you got off on the wrong foot, but had no idea cussing, Xanax, and lectures from EEO were involved. You know, I'm dying to ask what prompted this. Good luck, and I hope you find a position that suits you better.

[onion]

Yes, I called him a name because I was at the end of my rope.  He had made me the chair of a committee (one with an impossible task), and as I was giving my committee's report, he said "Okay, little girl, you obviously don't know anything.  Time to shut up and let the adults talk."  I snapped.  But this was after months of bullying, harassment, and rank intimidation.  For example, on my very first day on the job, I was making photocopies for my class.  He pulled me into his office and said I shouldn't waste my time making copies because "your dissertation is so bad it's going to take you forever to turn it into a third-rate book."  It only got worse from there--trust me, it got b-a-d--including physical, um, issues.  I naively filed paperwork with the EEO office, but they gave the paperwork to him!  He began to retaliate in very scary ways; I tried to get a lawyer, but I'm in a small town and the Uni. is important, and no one would touch the case, even though they all agreed that I had one.  So Xanax and scribbling is all I got now.

[jammer]

Onion - you must get out of there.  Get in touch with AAUP.  Or something.  Isn't there anyone on campus who is a decent person who could help you?  What do the other members of your department do when your chair does this? 

This is much more than just being an a**hole...

[uboat_driver]

Here I thought I was the only one thinking that my last year before tenure was basically one more year where I could screw up by not having one of those "STFU" bracelets.  I'm glad to be in good (or at least numerous) company.  Thanks!!!

[onion]

It's a very, very scary situation.  The chair has already run off 2 members of the department who were untenured and from under-represented minority groups.  When I talked to AA/EEO about this, and suggested that I was experiencing discrimination because of my gender and sexual orientation, I was told that the other 2 who left "canceled out" my experience because they were men; therefore, the chair is an equal opportunity jerk.  I was reminded that the state I am in does not protect against discrimination on sexual orientation.  When I told someone else in my department (who I thought I could trust) that the chair had been bullying me, that person told someone else, and it got back to the chair, and he told the Dean and AA/EEO.  They called me in and told me that the chair was interested in pursuing a defamation of character lawsuit, and if that happened, I would be fired.  I'm trying to get out of here.  The AAUP and AAUW have not been much help.

[science_expat]

Can you go outside your small town to look for a lawyer?

Whatever you do, you've got to get out, Onion.

[oldfullprof]

I know where you're coming from, Onion.  I had a chair at my last campus I longed to beat the crap out of.  I definitely could have.  I weigh about 210 and have been involved in martial arts for the last ten years.  Even though I'm 62 now, I work out and am in good shape.  What I chose to do with him was seriously avoid him (to avoid going to jail.)  I think I knew I wasn't going to stay there pretty early on.

We did have a few verbal exchanges when he occasionally caught up to me.  One time, in the main office, he was screaming at me about a class I taught that was supposed to have been "bad," and I simply walked away.  It was very public.  I'd been set up by his toady, who organized the other students against me-- 11 out of 12 evaluations on this campus were good.

I made sure to keep potential references apprised of his abusive behavior (which was directed at students and other faculty, too.)  I didn't have any trouble getting another job when they didn't reappoint me.

[oldfullprof]

They called me in and told me that the chair was interested in pursuing a defamation of character lawsuit, and if that happened, I would be fired.  I'm trying to get out of here.  The AAUP and AAUW have not been much help.

You know actually, this is a case you could probably win at the lawsuit level.  Here, you would want the serious overreaction (like the defamation of character lawsuit.)  But you have to be prepared for months or years of not getting paid, and possibly finding it harder to get another job.

We had a minority faculty who was kicked out of one college, sued them, got a job with us (with a promotion), got settled out of court, and it all turned out very well for hu.

[dr_crankypants]

Oh, Onion, I'm so sorry to hear this.  I don't have any good ideas.  I just wanted to offer my sympathy, and to reiterate what other people said: get out, now.  Even if it means going to a less prestigious institution.  This is an incredibly toxic department and university.  I'm appalled by the AA/EOE response.  The chair's behavior doesn't cancel out anything.  In fact, it suggests a fairly clear pattern of hostility and discrimination toward anyone who is not a white male.  The fact that they don't see this suggests that there's a fairly serious problem at your institution, and one that's not going to change.

I guess I would just try at this point to be as bland and inoffensive as possible, and to work on collecting evidence.  I'm cautious about suing, because I think it often hurts the person who sues.  You always have to make a decision between doing what will be best for your career and taking a principled stand against this.  But I think that the process of collecting evidence--regardless of what you do with it--has therapeutic potential, and it can help moderate your frustration.  (After all, if you keep thinking about how to get better evidence, you want to avoid situations that make you look bad--"if I call the chair an a**hole, the value of this incident for my records goes down.  Let me just raise an eyebrow."  (Easier said than done, of course, but I find that strategic thinking about how things will look in the future can force me into better behavior.)  This also reminds me of ProfMom's strategy for dealing with the crazy mother in law--(she reported everything here, and even found her MIL easier to deal with because she was actually looking forward to reporting it.)  I do NOT recommend reporting everything here (it would be too recognizable), but you might get some satisfaction from compliling these records (and maybe you can even find someone (somewhere else) who would love to hear the crazy things your chair just did/said.

In any case, my deepest sympathies.  Good luck with your job search!!

[illuminata]

I agree with all of the above, and would add: keep notes, at home, of every negative exchange w/ the Evil One. Write down dates, times, and places, with as much detail as possible. Also list names of people who witnessed said behavior. Don't tell anyone you have said record until/unless you do decide to file a lawsuit. Having such info. will add greatly to your credibility AND allow for some therapeutic actitity.

Good luck...and do get out asap.

[onion]

Thank you all.  And apologies to the OP; I seem to have overtaken your thread.
I just had an on-campus last week and should be hearing middle of next week whether or not I got the position.  Fingers crossed! I have been keeping a detailed record of everything, and I was actually contacted over winter break by the person I replaced, who was run out of the dept. in a similar fashion.  I had been starting to think that I was the crazy one, the one with the problem, which is, of course, the goal of most bullies.
Thanks to everyone.

[tyy_rad_sci]

Repeat after me:

-- These people are not my pals.
("These people are not my pals.")

-- These people are not my family
("These people are not my family")

-- These people care about their careers more than about me or many other things
("These people care about their careers more than about me or many other things")

-- I do too.
("I do too")

-- I am here to make a contribution, not to convert.
("I am here to make a contribution, not to convert.")


Let me know how it works.  We can make T-shirts.

(I also like larryC's bracelet...)

- TYY

[angel]

Holy crap, Onion! Clearly you have to get out of this place. Toxic is an understatement. Good luck on the job front: we're all rooting for you. Please keep us posted.

[athena1]

I literally hold my hand over my mouth so I won't impulsively speak up.

[bio_prof_]

I will sit next to you with my hands over my ears. All we need is someone else to join us, and to cover their eyes....