Workplace Mobbing in LA County

by Melissa
(California)

I have worked for the ... for the last nine years. During my last 7 years as a public servant, I worked as a “DOJ” Compliance Auditor on a special assignment. My sincere attempt to assist the department has cost me my career and most importantly my civil rights. I am victim of constant surveillance in my professional and personal life. In April 2009, I received notice that I would be receiving “assistance” with auditing three residential treatment facilities. During this time, I noticed that I was under increased surveillance. In July 2009, I filed a hostile environment complaint with management after being retaliated against by two managers, three supervisors, and two lead officers while carrying out my duties of an auditor. My duties consisted of reviewing and checking the content, completion, accuracy, and policy compliance of all documentation including but not limited to the Special Housing Unit (SHU) Movement Logs, Grievances, and Request for Services, Enhanced Supervision Observation Forms, Special Incident Reports, and Physical Intervention Reports.

Some of my findings included minors were held in isolation for extended periods of time without proper documentation, grievances were not addressed or not addressed in a timely manner, and minors under enhanced (“suicide watch”) supervision not properly supervised to name a few.

In September 2010, I filed another retaliation complaint with the department for retaliation, intimidation, harassment, slander, and defamation of character. As a result, I succumbed to a work related injury in which … refuses to take responsibility for. I took a leave without pay from September 2010-November 2011. In November 2011, I returned to work and assigned by the Return to Work Unit to … where the surveillance and retaliation continued.

I discovered at ... that my files had been deleted and emails that I had sent were altered in some way were deleted, changed or created. An example of an altered email is that of an work related email dated December 5, 2010, where I allegedly wrote to a male counter part telling him “I love you with all my heart” and “I am not going to the meeting”. If you recall, I was on work injury leave during September 2010-November 2011. The surveillance and harassment increased once the department knew that I was aware that they were not only monitoring what I did at work but that they also were monitoring my phone calls, personal vehicle activity, and home life.

On December 8, 2011, I checked in the … emergency room for chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain in my neck and shoulders. The Return to Work Unit decided to give me “freeway therapy” and send me 70 miles from home to Camp Headquarters. The retaliation and surveillance increased at Camp headquarters where a target was drawn with white chalk in front of the module I was working out of. On February 2, I was seated in the supervisor’s office when I heard the words to a metal song “you are going to die”.

On February 9, I returned from lunch when several co workers were seated in the break room and simulated the sounds of gun shots as I walked into the supervisor’s office. I was under continuous monitoring at my desk location, restroom, parking lot, and any other place I visited while at work. My phone conversations and computer activity was being monitored. I was subjected to verbal abuse such as being referred to as a “puta” (whore) by a clerk, “desgraciada” (disgraceful) by a fellow probation officer, and “...” by my supervisor. On one occasion, an officer sang the words “slap that bitch” as I walked by him in the parking lot.

On March 1, I was parked in front of a mini market in … and what appeared to be a brown Camaro pulled up aside me and a male Latino gang member in his late mid to twenties pulled aside my car and displayed his tattoo RIP, put on a jacket and lifted his head in a greeting manner and drove off. On March 2, 2012, a white Corolla with black tinted windows pulled in front of me on the freeway while I was on the 210 freeway driving home from work. The rear passenger pulled the window and stuck his hand covered with a glove out of the window. There were four young men in the vehicle.

I was placed off of work on March 5, 2012 as a result of these incidents. Since then, I changed the locks to my house because I noticed that during the time I was working my stuff was rearranged and my medication was tampered with.