The Walker Family 2025 - A Problem at Work
by Martin Green

 

 

“I’m afraid I have bad news for you. Tom.”   

The speaker was Hermoine Waterhouse, the head of the state’s Affordable Health Care agency, for which Tom Walker had worked the last ten years.

 

“I know,” said Walker.    “No promotion for me again.    With that huge state budget deficit I didn’t really expect it:”

 

“No, it’s worse than that, Tom.    Sit down.    How long has your new assistant, Angelica Brown, been here?”

 

“Uh, about six months, I think.    Why?”

 

“How is her work?”

 

“It’s fine.    She’s very eager and she learns fast.”

 

“And how do you get along with her?”

 

“Fine, I think.    Is there a problem?”

 

“Would you say she’s a pretty girl?”

 

“Yes, I would.  Why?”

 

“Have you complimented her on her looks?”

 

“I sometimes tell her she’s looking very nice today.”

 

“And how she dresses?”

 

“I sometimes say that dress or blouse is nice.”

 

“Well, Anglica has lodged a complaint of sexual harassment against you.She says you’ve made the workplace uncomfortable for her.”

 

“What?”

 

“You know how serious this is, don’t you?    You could be suspended without pay for six months or you could be fired and lose your pension.”

 

Walker was stunned.    He knew that there that there had been a rash of sexual harassment claims in the department and he’d thought he’s been very careful in his relationship with Angelica.    It was true she was a very attractive young lady.    Had he inadvertently given her an inappropriate look?    He didn’t think so but he wasn’t sure.    If he lost this job and his pension along with it he didn’t know what he’d do.    His wife also worked but their daughter was going to college and that had become prohibitively expensive and their son would be going to college in a few years and what then?  

 

“So, what now?”

 

“You know the drill.    You’re to appear before the Board of Sexual Harassment,  Inclusion, Termination and Equity next week.    I’ll do what I can for you, Tom, you’ve been here for a long time and I know you’re a good worker, but you’d better prepare a good defense.”

 

“Will I need a lawyer?”

 

”No legal representative is allowed.”

 

“Will I be allowed to question Angelica?”

 

“The accuser won’t be there.    The hearing might intrude into her safety zone.”

 

“Her what?”

 

“I’m sorry, Tom.Those are the rules.”

 

 

Walker had just returned home and plopped down in the living room armchair, looking very unhappy.

 

“What’s the matter?” asked his wife Trish.

 

“You won’t believe this but I’ve been accused of sexual harassment.”

 

“What?    Who accused you?”

 

My assistant, Angelica Brown.    Turns out she wasn’t so angelic after all.”

 

“But I thought you said she was a nice sweet girl.”

 

“I thought she was, until now.”

 

“Well, you told me she was a pretty young girl.    Did you ever tell her that?”

 

“Not in so many words.I may have told her she was looking nice that day a few times.”

 

“Oh, Tom, you should known better than that. Some women will take that as sexual harassment.    You should have known better.”

 

“Yes, I know that now.    We should discuss what we’ll do when I’m fired.”

 

 

The Sexual Harassment Inclusion Termination Equity (SHITE)  Board was in session.    The Board was made up of five people, all women except for one male.The Board  head was Amanda Hatcher, a formidable-looking woman who was chief of the states’ Taxation agency.    The lone male was Wilmer Beamish, representing te employees association.    The one friendly face that Tom Walker saw was the head of his agency, Hermoine  Waterhouse.

 

Amanda Hatcher was speaking,.    “So, Mr. Parker, you admit to complimenting Ms. Brown, an innocent young lady, on her looks.”

 

“Er, it’s Walker, not Parker.    Yes, but I meant nothing inappropriate by it.    I regarded Angelica, er, Ms. Brown as, uh, something like a daughter.”

 

Ms. Hatcher snorted.    “Fathers have been known to lust after their daughters.    And, Mr. Parker, did you ever touch Ms. Brown?”

 

“Er, it’s Walker, not Parker.    “No, I don’t think so.    I may have patted her on the back or something but again I meant nothjing inappropriate by it.”

 

Ms. Hatcher snorted again.    “A feeble excuse, typical of a man.”

 

“Mr, Walker,” said Wilmer Beamish, “haven’t you worked for the State for over twenty years with an unblemished record?”

 

“That’s irrelevant,” said Ms. Hatcher.

 

“Uh, I’m sorry,” said Beamish.

 

“Yes, he has,” Hermoina Waterhouse quickly put in, “Mr. Walker has been an exemplary employee.    I rely on him.”

 

“You’re out of order,” said Ms. Hatcher, banging her gavel.    “Do you have anything else to say in your defense, Mr. Parker?”

 

Walker could see where this was going.    He knew he didn’t stand a chance.    “If I did anything to make Ms. Brown uncomfortable, he said, “I certainly didn’t intend to.    I promise to mend my ways if the Board will give me a chance.”

 

Ms.Hatcher looked around.    “Does the Board agree that Mr. Parker is guilty as charged?”

 

Everyone raised a hand, even Hermoine Waterhouse.    They knew better than to disagree,

 

Well, here it comes, thought Walker.

 

“The verdict is unanimous,” said Ms. Hatcher.    “Guilty of sexual harassment.    You are immediately terminated with no benefits, including a pension and ….”

 

At this point, a young girl, tears streaming down her face, burst into the room.    It was Angelica Brown.    “Stop,” she said.    “Mr Walker is innocent.    He never did anything to me.    He was nothing but nice.    I looked on him as a father, he was so nice.    They told me that he’d only get a reprimand, or he was so old he would just retire with a nice pension. I’m sorry.    I’m so sorry.”

 

“What?” said Ms. Hatcher.    “Who told you those things?”

 

 “The women’s conscience group I joined.    It’s called the Women Against Coercion Organization.    It’s WACO for short.    They told me I’d be a heroine to women everywhere.    I shouldn’t have listened.”

 

“I move we vacate the guilty verdict and find Mr. Walker, not Parker, innocent,” said Hermoine Waterhouse.

 

“I second the motion,” said Wilber Beamish.”

 

The other two Board members voted Aye.    Ms. Hatcher said, “This is highly irregular but I suppose I’ll have to vote inhnocent also.    This meeting is adjourned.”

 

 

“So you’ve been completely exonerated?” said Walker’s wife Tish.

 

“Yes.    I’m in the clear.”

 

“What will happe to Angelica?”

 

"She’ll get a reprimand and be assigned to another agency.    I’m sure she’ll do very well.”

 

“So you’ll be getting another assistant.”

 

“We’ll be sending out applications tomorrow.    I won’t be looking to hire another pretty young girl though..”

 

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