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[m1ko_]

Hi all,

The worst year of my life may be getting even worse. The short story is that I am involved in law suits against my department chair, with more claims against the chair and the university on the way. He attempted to block my initial appointment but failed against the wishes of the hiring committee. The reasons for this are entirely personal (proven and attested to by multiple people) and discriminatory (more difficult to prove but true). He has spent the last year sabotaging, defaming, and bullying me (the chair has a track record of unethical behavior, discrimination complaints, law suits, etc), systematically violating the contract in his attempt to smear and undermine me. But he has the Dean under his control, and the Provost is oblivious (supports Deans without question or interest). The union board includes my dept chair and is apparently bought and paid for: grievances go nowhere.

All of this has been ruining my life and has the potential to ruin my career, as the chair has successfully blocked my reappointment by manipulating the dean and over the objections and support of the P&T committee (more contract violations involving direct threats to committee members). TT jobs are rare in my specialization, and we are a dual-career academic couple...if I can't turn this around my career may be over. I had other job offers, and although I had no way of knowing of the chair's weird hatred of me before I started, this is shaping up to be the biggest mistake of my life.

The grievance and law suits are publicizing the chair's behavior to some extent, but thanks to the passive administration and weak union, department chairs can get away with almost anything. The publicity is somewhat humiliating for the chair, however, who has an ego that is as fragile as it is massive. He inhabits a fantasy world where he imagines that his cowed victims actually respect him (academically irrelevant, he derives all his dignity from administrative power and its capricious use). Now that I have filed legal claims, people have warned me that I should watch my back -- they put nothing past this chair, from stealing, snooping, or planting things in my office to more overt attacks like slashing tires or even bringing me to physical harm. A colleague told me to keep a baseball bat in my office (!?!?). I have no idea what to think. The chair himself is physically not a threat, to say the least. But hiring a thug to beat me up or something? Does that even make sense? How can I protect myself without sounding paranoid or crazy?

[hiddendragon]

Oh, boy.  And I thought my life was miserable and drama-riddened!  I have no suggestions as I am green myself, but I just want to say as a fellow tt person I empathize and will be sending you lots of positive, good vibes, and some jedi-mind numbing energy to get your chair to leave you alone and to like you for just who you are.

*******"Chair, you do not want to mess with m1ko.  You do not want to mess with m1ko.  You also like her lots and will advance her career with furvor.  You like m1ko....like...like..."*******

[clean]

http://www.basspro.com/Bushnell-Trophy-Cam-8-0-Megapixel-Digital-Game-Camera/product/10211917/50507

Personally I prefer this game camera.  It can be placed to take a picture of anyone that enters your office.  You can even set it up to take a video.  I think that it would be very interesting to see what it captures, especially if the nutty chair does try to plant something in your office. 

It may even end their career, but certainly their ability to chair.

[larryc]

http://www.basspro.com/Bushnell-Trophy-Cam-8-0-Megapixel-Digital-Game-Camera/product/10211917/50507

Personally I prefer this game camera.  It can be placed to take a picture of anyone that enters your office.  You can even set it up to take a video.  I think that it would be very interesting to see what it captures, especially if the nutty chair does try to plant something in your office. 

Brilliant. Seriously, do this. You might also tell maintenance that you need the lock changed.

I am guessing that your lawyer is telling you what to do as far as documenting and the like. Put a password on your computer, clear the cache and password savers on your browsers, and back up any important files on a portable hard drive that you bring home with you. Lock your desk drawers. Take home important paper files such as those student evaluations. Ask the colleagues who wrote positive teaching evals for copies, make the request sound as casual as you can.

You need allies on campus. Are there tenured, senior faculty whom you can ask for advice? How about in other departments? Are there past victims now on other campuses who will testify?

[femmawatts]

Oh Dear!  OP this sounds awful. If you really think that this chair is unstable I'd say do take some precaution that might help protect your physical and emotional safety.  If you feel better with pepper spray on your keys, or a base ball bat hidden in your office then do it.  Also walk out with someone if you can, especially if it is getting dark.  Do what ever will make you feel safe, you are entitled to this.

Also do what you can to document the situation.  Writing down the things he says to you, and if there is a colleague near by who you trust ask them to do what they can to overhear the conversation.

I might also suggest, for your own personal sanity, if you have not already, that you consider entering some therapy.  Being in a situation like this can be very draining and scary.  Use the therapy to help you deal with the stress and continue to take care of yourself.

Best of luck standing up to this bully.

[litdawg]

OP--You do NOT want anything that can be construed as a weapon in your office. In fact, I'd worry I was being set up if a colleague suggested I might want to stash one in my office. All it takes is a call to campus security to search your office, and who looks like the nutcase now? Don't do it.

Find other ways to establish your physical security, if that is what is needed--innocuous pepper spray on keychain, cell phone with campus security number easily found, an open door whenever on campus and lots of hellos to other faculty so they know you are present, etc.

[alleyoxenfree]

Have that elective surgery and take some medical leave.

[king_ghidorah]

Hold office hours in the library?  Have SO meet you after office hours and walk home together?  Stay on campus only during daylight?  Make sure you have a colleague walk with you?  Can you call campus security and express your concern (or could that be construed as some sort of libel)?

Good luck.  That sounds awful.  I've come to the conclusion that one of academia's biggest problems is that it doesn't deal with its problem children very well.

[anon99]

Putting up the camera, changing passwords (and clearing caches), and getting locks changed all are good ideas.  I would also suggest to re-configure your office so that you are not 'stuck' in if for some reason you need to get out quickly.  Some offices have the desk positioned in such as way that there is only one way out through a 2-3 foot opening.

[luckychance]

OP--You do NOT want anything that can be construed as a weapon in your office. In fact, I'd worry I was being set up if a colleague suggested I might want to stash one in my office. All it takes is a call to campus security to search your office, and who looks like the nutcase now? Don't do it.

Find other ways to establish your physical security, if that is what is needed--innocuous pepper spray on keychain, cell phone with campus security number easily found, an open door whenever on campus and lots of hellos to other faculty so they know you are present, etc.

I think this is very good advice

[seniorscholar]

Some offices have the desk positioned in such as way that there is only one way out through a 2-3 foot opening.

A clinical psychologist told me that they used always to be trained to never let a client/patient get between their own position in the office and the door. That's generally why a psychologist's interactions with others take place in two chairs with arms for easy rising, and not from behind a desk. That is, the psychologist can sit behind a protective desk until the patient enters, at which point s/he stands up and gestures to a chair which is further from the door than the one in which the shrink will sit.

[hayduke]

I wonder how often this story plays out?  I was in the OPs position 6 years ago. I was on the second of a "three year contract" that could have been revoked at anytime. I did not threaten legal action although I could have and had friends encouraging me too. I did file a grievance after putting up with increasing hostility and harassment for 9 months. (Students were coming to me and telling me to watch my back!) The chair had accused me, in writing of both sexual and racist impropriety with students. (I didn't know these complaints had been leveled against me until I requested a review of my file: I suspected something was up.) The union was weak and ineffectual. And the provost was well intended but worthless.  I did not use my school computer for ANYTHING other than the most clearly academic purposes for 10 months.  I held office hours in the library. I documented everything. With audio tapes, written notes, dates and times and people present. it got to the point that I would not meet with the chair with out a witness present.  I archived school e-mails cached on my private computer.  On more than one occasion I pulled over on the side of the road, either on the way too or from campus, to cry.  MY wife even had a security lighting system installed at our residence. It was indeed the WORST TIME OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. But I refused to "let it go." I fought fairly and persistently.  I responded to EVERY criticism in an open and calm manner. (exploding inside.) Five months after filing my grievance the chair was quite unexpectedly "fired for cause."  The provost later extended a written "absolution" and allowed me the freedom to permanently delete any item or items from both my academic and HR file.  The new union contract negotiated the next year includes several items specific to my experience.

I later learned that the chair had been fired from 3 previous university appointments, but that in each case the chair had been offered  positive references is they left immediately and peacefully.  The chair had even assaulted another faculty member at one of those institutions! She has not worked in academia since.

There can be a light at the end of the tunnel. Forget any suggestion of arming yourself with anything other than the embrace of caution, the pursuit of justice, good work and invaluable friends.

[m1ko_]

Thanks for the replies so far. I just don't know what will happen or what to do... I have the full but silent support of my department (they are all justifiably terrified of retaliation if they show open support, several have already been threatened/warned not to by the chair), but this means little. The problem is an administration that simply doesn't care. This person has created discord and acrimony everywhere he has been, but has somehow weasled into administrative responsibilities that the Dean relies on. Their math is simple: s***can the untenured "problem" employee who is complaining about abuse, or try to discipline/control a tenured prof with well-placed allies, many committee appointments, etc.

I have no protection -- a corrupted and dysfunctional union, cowed and scared colleagues, an administration who doesn't give a s***. The only advice I get from colleagues is to sue, which I'm doing. I'm sure they will give me a cash settlement to leave and my career will still be over. There are so few jobs to apply for, and leaving a TT job for unexplained reasons is such a stain.... 10 years of education, postdocs, a succesful publication record, and teaching will come to nothing.

[marigolds]

I wonder how often this story plays out?  I was in the OPs position 6 years ago. I was on the second of a "three year contract" that could have been revoked at anytime. I did not threaten legal action although I could have and had friends encouraging me too. I did file a grievance after putting up with increasing hostility and harassment for 9 months. (Students were coming to me and telling me to watch my back!) The chair had accused me, in writing of both sexual and racist impropriety with students. (I didn't know these complaints had been leveled against me until I requested a review of my file: I suspected something was up.) The union was weak and ineffectual. And the provost was well intended but worthless.  I did not use my school computer for ANYTHING other than the most clearly academic purposes for 10 months.  I held office hours in the library. I documented everything. With audio tapes, written notes, dates and times and people present. it got to the point that I would not meet with the chair with out a witness present.  I archived school e-mails cached on my private computer.  On more than one occasion I pulled over on the side of the road, either on the way too or from campus, to cry.  MY wife even had a security lighting system installed at our residence. It was indeed the WORST TIME OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. But I refused to "let it go." I fought fairly and persistently.  I responded to EVERY criticism in an open and calm manner. (exploding inside.) Five months after filing my grievance the chair was quite unexpectedly "fired for cause."  The provost later extended a written "absolution" and allowed me the freedom to permanently delete any item or items from both my academic and HR file.  The new union contract negotiated the next year includes several items specific to my experience.

I later learned that the chair had been fired from 3 previous university appointments, but that in each case the chair had been offered  positive references is they left immediately and peacefully.  The chair had even assaulted another faculty member at one of those institutions! She has not worked in academia since.

There can be a light at the end of the tunnel. Forget any suggestion of arming yourself with anything other than the embrace of caution, the pursuit of justice, good work and invaluable friends.

This is a heartening story.  Thanks for sharing it. 

I'm glad things got better for you, and I hope things get better for the OP.

[bud04]

I wonder how often this story plays out?  I was in the OPs position 6 years ago. I was on the second of a "three year contract" that could have been revoked at anytime. I did not threaten legal action although I could have and had friends encouraging me too. I did file a grievance after putting up with increasing hostility and harassment for 9 months. (Students were coming to me and telling me to watch my back!) The chair had accused me, in writing of both sexual and racist impropriety with students. (I didn't know these complaints had been leveled against me until I requested a review of my file: I suspected something was up.) The union was weak and ineffectual. And the provost was well intended but worthless.  I did not use my school computer for ANYTHING other than the most clearly academic purposes for 10 months.  I held office hours in the library. I documented everything. With audio tapes, written notes, dates and times and people present. it got to the point that I would not meet with the chair with out a witness present.  I archived school e-mails cached on my private computer.  On more than one occasion I pulled over on the side of the road, either on the way too or from campus, to cry.  MY wife even had a security lighting system installed at our residence. It was indeed the WORST TIME OF MY ENTIRE LIFE. But I refused to "let it go." I fought fairly and persistently.  I responded to EVERY criticism in an open and calm manner. (exploding inside.) Five months after filing my grievance the chair was quite unexpectedly "fired for cause."  The provost later extended a written "absolution" and allowed me the freedom to permanently delete any item or items from both my academic and HR file.  The new union contract negotiated the next year includes several items specific to my experience.

I later learned that the chair had been fired from 3 previous university appointments, but that in each case the chair had been offered  positive references is they left immediately and peacefully.  The chair had even assaulted another faculty member at one of those institutions! She has not worked in academia since.

There can be a light at the end of the tunnel. Forget any suggestion of arming yourself with anything other than the embrace of caution, the pursuit of justice, good work and invaluable friends.

This is a heartening story.  Thanks for sharing it. 

I'm glad things got better for you, and I hope things get better for the OP.

+1 OP, hang it there! Sometimes the good guy(and ladies) do win!