3 Weeks Ago...At Work

[themartianchick]

I mentioned this in another thread and I didn't want to hijack it. With that being said, I probably should share the story and hope that it can help someone else. I started a new job a few weeks ago. I still work for the same municipality, but I now have a more encompassing job title and work in a high-rise building. The building houses many departments, like social services, health department, etc. so the general public has access to the building.

 

On my second day, a man came into our office suite and felt that he had the right to walk through with a camera on a tripod and a body cam on. He stated that he was a journalist and that he was there to do an audit of the building to see what types of information and services were available to the public. We have sheriff's deputies in the building, but no one challenged his presence when he entered. We asked him not to record. Our staff blocked his access to our offices because permission is required for filming and photography. Also, we work with sensitive personal data. If published on the internet, it could lead to identity theft or simply a loss of privacy for our clients. He filmed all of us and later put the video on the internet, provided names and phone numbers of some of our staff members and maligned us for not complying with his demand for access. He created nicknames for coworkers in the building that he didn't like and incorporated those comments into the video.

 

The deputies came and asked him to leave, but did not force him out of the building. Ours wasn't the only department that he did this to. He did this in personnel, where he actually opened drawers and filmed personal family photos that workers had on their desks. Later, he visited a floor that had clients of our social services department and actually filmed the faces of children in the waiting room. He even visited the office that contains birth and death records and captured people there on video. He may have even captured some incredibly sensitive personal records there.

 

As a person of color, my relationship with the police is a complicated one. One deputy actually walked the cameraman through the sensitive areas with children and families and allowed him to film. For this reason, I don't feel that any of my coworkers are particularly safe when a cop needlessly places someone vulnerable, at risk.

 

None of this is okay and yet, there are people all over America who consider themselves to be patriots who are applauding this type of behavior and encouraging it. He has in excess of 100k followers and there are more "auditors" just like him out there. The comments that they left on his YouTube page were vile, with many referring to the women who run our municipal departments as b-words and c-words. They speculated about the sexuality of our supervisors and suggested the use of pepper spray (or worse) on us during his next visit. Our phones rang off the hook as his supporters called our offices and hung up or asked for people in our office by name, only to scream vile things into the phone. While the calls have slowed, they still continue to come in.

 

This is not okay. We all have a right to feel safe at work and now, we are all looking over our shoulders because there could be a whack-a-doodle out to get us. A little googling helped us to identify the guy with the camera. He was prosecuted for his role in the January 6th attack on the Capitol. He is still on probation. He even traveled to Uvalde after the school shooting and disrupted a council meeting. We don't know how dangerous he could be and we know absolutely nothing about his followers. What we do know is that we are not safe from people who believe that government employees are obligated to allow access to all of our work areas and allow anyone with a camera to surveil us.

 

Lastly, one interesting thing about the comments that were left on his YouTube page:

 

His followers left a lot of anti-women comments (name calling and insulting our intelligence)

There were a lot of homophobic comments about a female deputy who is heterosexual

A lot of racist comments

A lot of comments inciting violence

A few comments insinuating that child porn or abuse occur on the premises

 

The people who follow him on YouTube seem to fall into different categories, but they all seem to agree that he should continue harassing public employees at work.

 

 

[Virginia]

Cannot imagine this happening, and pray that someone, somewhere can get to the bottom of this and do something.

[themartianchick]

3 minutes ago, Virginia said:

Cannot imagine this happening, and pray that someone, somewhere can get to the bottom of this and do something.

It is happening every day, across America.

 

I've always been pretty vigilant about safety in the workplace. My fears about workplace violence became even more heightened in 2022 when a shooter opened fire in a Buffalo NY supermarket. While most people were appalled by this event, I was especially shocked to learn that the shooter had done his homework prior to selecting that store. He told investigators that he had thought about coming to a grocery store in my city and to a specific zip code/side of town in order to kill minorities. My city would have been closer to his home and he wouldn't have had to drive as far. I happen to live in that zip code and the only full-service grocery store is one that I installed as part of an economic development project to support a neighborhood that had no food access. Every employee in that store lived in the neighborhood, as did most of the shoppers that day. I still consult with the nonprofit organization that conceived the project and I still think about the shooting that almost happened there. 

[Mother]

I have no words o express my sorrow at the constant tension and fear you must live with every day.  Coming from a very rural small town area I have nothing to compare it to but I am not naive enough to believe that it won’t come here soon.  Already I see signs of the disrespect and intolerances in the nearby cities I occasionally shop in.  
 

I feel this is the front runner of a civil war that has been panned for a long time.  These are not isolated localized groups or incidences.  These are highly indoctrinated people, well trained to incite others to join their cause, and well funded to carry out the agenda.  The questions of what agenda, whose agenda, and why remain unanswered.  
 

Try to stay safe TMC 

[Annarchy]

[themartianchick]

Thank you all for your concern...I have been mulling this over for the past few weeks and it really is unnerving. I woke up around 3 a.m. and checked my work email. Sure enough, there was a complaint from someone in Minnesota suggesting that there should be an investigation of our office staff and that we should all be fired. I was so excited to get this position and now, it is hard to get up enough energy to actually get up in the morning! The one thing that has remained constant is the level of support and camaraderie among my co-workers. We stuck together 3 weeks ago and we are still leaning on each other. 

 

Edited to add...We had 304 out-of-state phone calls yesterday and our office is comprised of 6 people.

Edited October 4, 2023 by themartianchick

[Littlesister]

Themartianchick, stay aware of your surroundings no matter where you are. Be it at work or just shopping. Praying for your safety and the safety of all you work with.  This man was no journalist and should have been asked for his credentials on that job. He should have been escorted out of the building by force if needed. This has put you and everyone else in that building in danger of who knows what. Journalist do not take pictures of anything in files or of children without their faces being blotted out if they are going to be on certain news reports. This sounds like what Mother said about front runner to maybe civil war or something. And for what agenda is anybody's guess. And the question remains as to how these ties in with Jan 6th other than he was in on that. I pray you and your coworkers are not fired for some wako jerk that thinks he can get people fired over not following whatever his agenda might be. I always thought there would be a civil war in this country before all He-- breaks loose but what the reasons behind it still remains a question. There is still a lot of unanswered questions behind the Jan. 6th mess than happened. I know some of it but still a lot of unanswered questions. 

I don't care what color skin anyone has, no one has the right to do what happened to your company. And the color of skin makes no difference anyway. Here where I live, we all get along great. Doesn't matter what color skin we have as we are not racist around here. We all help each other out when needing help or whatever the case is. There might be some crazy ones out there but not that I have seen. We all get along around here. 

 for your safety as well as for your co-workers. Hoping the phone calls will stop and nothing comes of this. 

No, I don't explain things well, but I am sure you know what I mean. 

[Jeepers]

Themartianchick.         

 

 I am just so very sorry you are going through all of this. I would be afraid for my life. I have nothing to compare to what you are living with only to say please stay safe. That sort of behavior (entitlement) is going on all over the country now. I should be stunned by that guys behavior but sadly I'm not. I don't know why people are allowed to get away with the things they do these days. We can now walk into a store and take anything we want without any consequences. Police arrest...judge releases. And the violence people resort to is unimaginable. 

 

I'm suburban now and soon to be semi-country. I rarely go to the city. I don't feel safe. And it has nothing to do with the color of peoples skin...for me. I'm more afraid of the youth of today. I think a lot of it has to do with upbringing, drugs, the media and mental illness. I have no answers but I hate what we have become. I think we lost the battle when we lost our sense of shame. 

 

Our country is so divided right now that a civil war has crossed my mind too. 

 

 

 

[Littlesister]

Jeepers, I have heard about news of things happening in Ohio so can't blame you for wanting to leave that state. I think Indy would be much quieter and safer as well. Not to say there isn't any crime going on around there somewhere. We do have crime around here, but it is mostly petty stuff with teenagers. Makes you wonder where all the parents are as they don't seem to raise their kids or know what they are doing anymore. Broken homes and no father present. We now have crazies doing donuts in the middle of the intersections now. Glad they can afford new tires. Because they are spinning wheels leaving black circles everywhere. 

Themartianchick. I know it would be hard, but I would try hard to move out of the area you are in. I know it has been on the news here that a lot of people are leaving NY. May be something to think about. There are much safer places than NY. Please stay safe and watch your back as they say. So much has changed since the election of 2020. 

[Mt_Rider]

This is shocking ...and super-worse X10 because it's happening personally to someone I know and care about.  I don't even have TV so everything I get is from Internet.  Saves me from looking at film clips unless I want to.  So yeah, I'm insulated from much of what's happening.  I do watch the news stories but .... 

 

My question is:  WHO THE HELLO LET HIM INTO a secured location with sensitive data and CHILDREN who's IDs are ALWAYS protected.  Heck, you employees should MUST have protection.  Have we all gone INSANE?   His tail should have been flapping in the breeze on the curb.  IMMEDIATELY!    Anyone on Facebook can claim reporter's privileges?   Hmmph!  I'm never on there except to see DD2's new pics of family.  I'm not on anything but here. 

 

Too bad you're so new to the job!  You'd have known more of what could/should have been allowed. 

I'd like to claim I'm speechless with horror......but I keep talking.        I seem to be using this little yellow guy to speak what words cannot.   

 

As everyone has said, please be very careful.  Know where back doors/side doors/all exits are.  Know where you can have cover and if not that, at least decent concealment.  I can't believed I just typed that advice to someone working in an office of the city govt.           

 

Has no one said....oops, that shouldn't have happened?        Unbelievable!  He's like a cat playing with his prey.....and thinking he's breaking a big "story"  about what?  Lax working environment?  You have chairs at your desks to sit in?   .................

 

    I'm ranting again.  I seem to be doing that a lot lately.  I'm consumed with the evil that I think happened in my 'hometown' ...... so I'm not dealing with unfair, illogical, dirty, rotten, mean stuff well.  You and your coworkers should not have to put up with ANY of that harassment.  Backed up with those 'above' you! 

 

Anyway,   for you and the rest who've been victims of a crime that probably isn't on the books.  But crime it is - false accusation and invasion!  Threats! 

 

MtRider  ..... Evil Lurks.  Be ever so careful and         to the One who also abhors evil for protection. 

[Littlesister]

AMEN to that Mt. Rider. This man should never have been allowed in that building without the proper permit as a journalist. I don't believe he was a journalist at all. And since he was connected to January 6th. That's just proof right there he was up to no good. Resurrectionist with lots of followers? Maybe. But he was/is up to no good.

[Annarchy]

@themartianchick  Is it possible to check with the administrators, to be able to get your information “redacted”, because of the threats?  LEO’s are allowed to do it, to protect themselves.

DH is still redacted and he’s been retired 15 years.

We once had an official ‘alphabet’ employee come in, flashed his badge and demanded to see our department and employee files.  Personnel with SO files.  Most of our crew was cringing at his presence and demeanor.  I looked him square in the eyes, and told him NO!  Every one in our office, including him, looked shocked I was so bold.  Administration had a discussion with him, called us, informing us what he was allowed to see.  He came back with his tail between his legs and treated us respectfully.  

 

Yes, that type of reporting has become a trend.  Terrible people wanting to create hate & discontent… Shameful… 

 

[Ambergris]

We had someone send in a google maps photo of the chairman's house and  a written demand names and addresses of all other employees.  I was notified at a meeting that my name, address, home phone number, birth date, and other information had been provided pursuant to Chapter 160 as requested.  The phone number is still technically mine, but is not used except for various records.  I certainly don't answer it anymore.  

 

You'd think that violating the privacy of a person (especially a minor) in that manner, would be a violation of some law or other, and that such a violation would be actionable.  The law enforcement officer who facilitated this violation should be retrained.  Most likely, the persons providing the services in that office know about the privacy rules, ordinances, statutes, codes, and laws, and thus would be best able to articulate them in order to formulate an action.

 

Something needs to be done.  Otherwise you become a soft target.  Doesn't the softest target become the repeated, favorite target?

 

Also, do something about the jerks targeting you.

[themartianchick]

So, to provide a little more information...

 

Our building has deputies near a front desk, but there is no requirement for anyone to check in and no metal detectors. All employees have a badge, but there is no one verifying that a person has a right to be there. Our badges can open some doors to gain entry, while other doors are require badges but are restricted to employees within certain departments. (Example: My badge can open some doors, but not ones in the Fiscal department because I have no business there.)

 

From what I have heard, there is no such thing as a press pass anymore. It isn't that major news organizations stopped issuing them, but the fact that there is a grey area as to what constitutes a journalist. With the rise of YouTube, podcasts, blogs, etc... Anyone can be a journalist!

 

By my standards, my current office is indefensible, if someone were to come in with a weapon. The wall with the outside corridor is so thin that I hear every conversation that occurs in the main hallway. Our office door is now locked and only other municipal employees can enter. There is only one way in and out.  Others must knock and someone peeks out the window to see if it is a friend or foe. The day that this happened, my information was not included on the website, and the "auditor" did not include it in his video. I am not being threatened outside of the phone calls and emails that we are receiving at work. A couple of my co-workers have not been so lucky.

 

Truthfully, I feel far safer in NY than I do in any other state. We have a second home in Florida and we no longer do anything recreational when we travel there. A trip to the grocery store can feel pretty threatening, at times. We were in residence there when a mother was shot by a neighbor after knocking on the front door. Our place in Florida is in the same county and we'd spent the prior evening enjoying a summer concert about 10 minutes from the crime scene.

 

While people may be leaving NY in some areas, that is not the case here. Our population is growing. The cost of living isn't bad, there are great school districts in the suburbs and a lot of economic development going on. We are heavily invested with both family and rental obligations and we have access to many amazing lakes, rivers, wildlife preserves, etc...here. We'll probably never cut ties to the area. The idea has always been to buy a place in Canada for the cooler summer weather and then spend a couple of winter months in Florida. We always thought that we'd spend some time in NY, if the house in Canada never materialized. We are re-thinking the Florida piece right now.

 

As far as the children and families that were violated by the "auditor",  I would assume that it would qualify as a HIPPA violation. They have the right to seek assistance from Social Services, medical services etc. without being shamed publicly. For the rest of the municipal employees, this has made for a hostile workplace. There has been no mention made of any changes to security measures, as of yet.

[Annarchy]

DH mentioned the police are now playing current music, around the, so called reporters.  If they post a video & you can hear the music, they are able to arrest the ‘reporters’ for copyright infringement.    Maybe put a radio in your workstation….  Lol

[Becca_Anne]

Oh boy so sorry this happened in your new workplace MartianChick!  No one has the right to just walk in and demand access to anything. They can't be stopped from walking in the lobby and have the right to go to the open public spaces, but back office access opening drawers and filming children? Heck no. I agree play music in the lobby, post signs stating no filming, and maybe lobby to have a training on what to do in the future for these kinds of situation both for you and the security personnel. They let you down. I'd look into legal options for a lawsuit against this individual I'm willing to bet their actions broke several laws.

Edited October 6, 2023 by Becca_Anne

[Jeepers]

I've heard a lot of Youtubers complain that they can't video in places because of music being played. Good idea. But when it comes time to publish the video they just mute the sound and do a voice over. I would think that "child endangerment" could be one legal step that could be taken. Terrible situation all the way around.

[Mt_Rider]

The music idea is grand.....if it works.  They can block the sound but that means anything you or others say would be blocked too.  Someone really good with such things could probably be able to block music but not voices???? 

 

Beyond my pay grade.  But such an affront should never happen again!  He could have been someone SO much worse... 

 

MtRider      I hope you can love your new job and the people you work with...having been there "in the trenches" THAT day!  

[themartianchick]

On 10/5/2023 at 8:00 PM, Annarchy said:

DH mentioned the police are now playing current music, around the, so called reporters.  If they post a video & you can hear the music, they are able to arrest the ‘reporters’ for copyright infringement.    Maybe put a radio in your workstation….  Lol

I like this idea... Thanks, Annarchy!

Edited October 7, 2023 by themartianchick

[Ambergris]

Disney is really aggressive about take-down notices for any video with its music.