I've been avoiding talking about this with anyone save my spouse for a while, but, well I guess it's time.
So y'all may remember my last thread where I talked about landing a coveted position in the Parole office. Took a pay cut, but it was worth it to finally have a steady 8-5 with weekends and holidays. A chance to have my kids on a regular. And it just felt like I was finally moving up in the world.
Yeah.
On friday the 13th in May I got called into a "quick little meeting" with the director of parole services. My boss's boss's boss. There I was asked about the day before and what happened. I couldn't answer because the day before had been a fairly normal day as far as I was aware. She said others felt otherwise and I was then escorted by Special Agents out. Said there was going to be an investigation and until then I couldn't be there. But, I'd still get paid.
2 weeks later I was finally contacted by a special agent investigator. Asked for an interview. I said, 'sure' and invited a union steward. I'd only been there 2 months, so the union couldn't do much but observe, but it's always nice to have another set of eyes, right?
It was there that I finally found out what was going on.
On thursday the 12th, we had very limited staff. Most people were off site training. At 4:30pm an email came in from the KC office that our office had to send people on Friday to Jackson County, some 30 miles away, to serve paperwork. It had to be done Friday.
The person they sent those instructions to had a moment. Her schedule was full and this basically destroyed her day. She was upset and I felt for her. I told her that I agreed that this was 'bullshit' and that someone needed to manage their time better. But, I had a solution, we'd leave early and get things done. Might ruin the morning, but save the rest of the day. This coworker said we needed boss's approval. They were all gone at the training and so I said, "well hug then".
This coworker and another, one I'd worked with before at the prison (and secretly was mad I got the parole job over her friend) decided that the lack of witnesses made this the perfect time. They said I'd stormed up and down the hall cussing and screaming. That I'd threatened them and the person who'd sent the task.
Could I prove I didn't? For some, yes. There were details in the story that didn't add up. That I'd demanded to know who the person was so I could make some general threat. Except, I'd been forwarded the email. I knew exactly who it was. I could talk to them whenever I chose. That I'd stood over them, loomed was the word, and yelled at them. Except the person who claimed that has a standing desk and, while I am taller than her, I didn't loom over or make any kind of threatening gesture.
Two weeks later the director sent me a letter stating, basically, that she believed them, that she felt my tone in all my interviews was 'threatening' and that she was going to fire me. This came out of left field, even the union steward was surprised. Said she'd never seen anything like this.
I was encouraged to file an EEO complaint and I did. Basically stating that they can't fire me over their interpretation of my tone, in part because I am openly autistic and tone is one of those areas I have problems with.
I also fired a complaint with the Kansas Human Rights commission. They agreed that this was all out of line.
So I sat at home, waiting.
In the meantime my puppy Allie started to go blind. It's apparently called SARDs and it's just something that randomly happens. We're lucky, for now it's only in her one eye.
Then my stepson broke up with his first girlfriend. He found she'd been cheating on him, multiple times. So he took a bunch of pills. I got him to the hospital. He got some help and is doing much better.
And the real kicker. Someone found my wife's ex husband's old phone and brought it to the house. I looked through it to confirm it was his and found that he's been taking pictures of my wife. Through windows, cracked doors, et al. All while she's in the nude. Yeah.
And so we come to Friday of last week. After my complaint was investigated by KDOC they decided they were going to fire me anyway. Despite the Human Rights Commission saying they were wrong. Despite the objections of the powerless union. 7 years of work and I am fired.
And yet, despite absolutely ******* my world, they decided to continue to kick me and refused to let me back in the office to get my things. I'd been asking for almost a month if I could grab some or all of my stuff. I'd had toys there, a few gifts from my wife, et al. Even after being fired they refused to take my calls or let me in to grab my personal property. I had to go to the police and file a report of theft before they finally called and told me I could go get my things. After hours when everyone had gone. And I was met at the door by a special agent openly carrying. They had a guy with a gun escort me to my office just to pick up my toys.
I've spent the last two months hoping that this wasn't happening. That it was all some kind of bad joke or dream. Things were going so well. I was finally getting ahead. and now here I am. Unemployed again. I applied to the local county jail. They say I'll probably be hired there soon as I meet with the sheriff. Another pay cut and back to shift work. Everyone starts on nights with 12 hour shifts. So much for seeing my kids.
Life is hard. And just when you think it's getting better, the rug gets pulled right out from under you.
So much for dream jobs. So much for family time. So much for getting ahead.
So y'all may remember my last thread where I talked about landing a coveted position in the Parole office. Took a pay cut, but it was worth it to finally have a steady 8-5 with weekends and holidays. A chance to have my kids on a regular. And it just felt like I was finally moving up in the world.
Yeah.
On friday the 13th in May I got called into a "quick little meeting" with the director of parole services. My boss's boss's boss. There I was asked about the day before and what happened. I couldn't answer because the day before had been a fairly normal day as far as I was aware. She said others felt otherwise and I was then escorted by Special Agents out. Said there was going to be an investigation and until then I couldn't be there. But, I'd still get paid.
2 weeks later I was finally contacted by a special agent investigator. Asked for an interview. I said, 'sure' and invited a union steward. I'd only been there 2 months, so the union couldn't do much but observe, but it's always nice to have another set of eyes, right?
It was there that I finally found out what was going on.
On thursday the 12th, we had very limited staff. Most people were off site training. At 4:30pm an email came in from the KC office that our office had to send people on Friday to Jackson County, some 30 miles away, to serve paperwork. It had to be done Friday.
The person they sent those instructions to had a moment. Her schedule was full and this basically destroyed her day. She was upset and I felt for her. I told her that I agreed that this was 'bullshit' and that someone needed to manage their time better. But, I had a solution, we'd leave early and get things done. Might ruin the morning, but save the rest of the day. This coworker said we needed boss's approval. They were all gone at the training and so I said, "well hug then".
This coworker and another, one I'd worked with before at the prison (and secretly was mad I got the parole job over her friend) decided that the lack of witnesses made this the perfect time. They said I'd stormed up and down the hall cussing and screaming. That I'd threatened them and the person who'd sent the task.
Could I prove I didn't? For some, yes. There were details in the story that didn't add up. That I'd demanded to know who the person was so I could make some general threat. Except, I'd been forwarded the email. I knew exactly who it was. I could talk to them whenever I chose. That I'd stood over them, loomed was the word, and yelled at them. Except the person who claimed that has a standing desk and, while I am taller than her, I didn't loom over or make any kind of threatening gesture.
Two weeks later the director sent me a letter stating, basically, that she believed them, that she felt my tone in all my interviews was 'threatening' and that she was going to fire me. This came out of left field, even the union steward was surprised. Said she'd never seen anything like this.
I was encouraged to file an EEO complaint and I did. Basically stating that they can't fire me over their interpretation of my tone, in part because I am openly autistic and tone is one of those areas I have problems with.
I also fired a complaint with the Kansas Human Rights commission. They agreed that this was all out of line.
So I sat at home, waiting.
In the meantime my puppy Allie started to go blind. It's apparently called SARDs and it's just something that randomly happens. We're lucky, for now it's only in her one eye.
Then my stepson broke up with his first girlfriend. He found she'd been cheating on him, multiple times. So he took a bunch of pills. I got him to the hospital. He got some help and is doing much better.
And the real kicker. Someone found my wife's ex husband's old phone and brought it to the house. I looked through it to confirm it was his and found that he's been taking pictures of my wife. Through windows, cracked doors, et al. All while she's in the nude. Yeah.
And so we come to Friday of last week. After my complaint was investigated by KDOC they decided they were going to fire me anyway. Despite the Human Rights Commission saying they were wrong. Despite the objections of the powerless union. 7 years of work and I am fired.
And yet, despite absolutely ******* my world, they decided to continue to kick me and refused to let me back in the office to get my things. I'd been asking for almost a month if I could grab some or all of my stuff. I'd had toys there, a few gifts from my wife, et al. Even after being fired they refused to take my calls or let me in to grab my personal property. I had to go to the police and file a report of theft before they finally called and told me I could go get my things. After hours when everyone had gone. And I was met at the door by a special agent openly carrying. They had a guy with a gun escort me to my office just to pick up my toys.
I've spent the last two months hoping that this wasn't happening. That it was all some kind of bad joke or dream. Things were going so well. I was finally getting ahead. and now here I am. Unemployed again. I applied to the local county jail. They say I'll probably be hired there soon as I meet with the sheriff. Another pay cut and back to shift work. Everyone starts on nights with 12 hour shifts. So much for seeing my kids.
Life is hard. And just when you think it's getting better, the rug gets pulled right out from under you.
So much for dream jobs. So much for family time. So much for getting ahead.
