Sexual harassment, or harassment of veterans? You decide.
A volunteer who runs the clothing room (Who we will call SAM for this posting, but whose real name is being withheld for privacy reasons), has brought charges of Sexual Harrassment against one of the members. Ive mentioned Fred, in the blog post "GRH4V is stealing from veterans on 8/17/2011. Fred is a Vietnam veteran who is suffering from agent orange. He can barley walk, or stand. He usually rides around in a 3 wheeled scooter.
Apparently at Karaoke held on Sunday nights, he and SAM danced 2 weeks ago, and it is being reported that she now claims he sexually harassed her by trying to caress one of her breasts. However, it is also being reported that the administration here has looked at the video camera footage of the security camera and has cleared Fred of wrong doing.
But apparently SAM and Husband are pursuing this issue by hiring a private attorney to prosecute it. As such the administration wants to move Fred out of the home, and has told him not to go to events where SAM is.
Now SAM is a volunteer, and according to the volunteer handbook, they are not to be lingering around after their volunteer stuff is done.
Yet SAM Signs in as a volunteer and goes to Karaoke, and Guitars for Veterans class on a weekly basis. Her lap dog, Dave Zimmerman, one of the members here, is usually with her and sometimes her husband is also with her. Now for a while there, Dave Zimmerman had his nose stuck so far up the hind end of SAM, many people did not know where she left off and he began, as they were always together.
Tonight we had a special event. Chari Miles, a country and blues singer came to sing for the veterans. It is being reported that Fred showed up, and Dave Zimmerman told him to leave or he would get security, because Fred was advised by the Administration to stay away from SAM.
First, Dave Zimmerman is not the police nor has any administrative authority, so he should shut the he** up. Second, there is no court order forbidding Fred from attending activities FOR VETERANS. And third, this is his home, SAM is the guest here and she is not following the rules established for volunteers. Furthermore her actions with other vets, indicates she is having personal contact with them that may be inappropriate.
Fred is extremely upset, and is under emotional duress.
If this continues, a possible counter suit will be filed against SAM, naming Dave as a co-defendant, for harassing other veterans and for creating a hostile environment.
Why should one of the Veterans have to avoid going to activities which are held for VETERANS, so that a volunteer can come in and enjoy the activity without actually working it? These things are not being done for the benefit of the volunteers.
So who is being harassed here? SAM The Volunteer, or Fred the Veteran?
Seems to me that GRH4V needs to be protecting its veterans, not its volunteers. Something fishy is going on here.
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