Prevention of Sexual Harassment (Mock Hearing)

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Description: This is a variation on the important POSH principles through a mock EEOC hearing, involving a sexual harassment complaint. One of us “play” the Administrative Judge and conduct the hearing in a realistic way. The case itself is a composite of real life federal sector circumstances. The complainant in the mock hearing is Susan, a fictitious employee, who worked for the agency for nearly 6 months but then quit, alleging sexual harassment by her supervisor, Bill. Susan as well as Bill and several other witnesses would be played by agency employees (volunteers of course). Likewise, the two attorneys representing Susan and the agency will be drawn from the agency’s legal, EEO or Employee Relations staff. The case is played “straight”, just as a hearing would be conducted at the EEOC, with opening and closing statements and direct and cross examination testimony by the witnesses. We provide model openings and closings and questions and answers for the witnesses and meet with the case participants to assist them in their preparation. The only difference from a real-life EEOC case is that the attendees (i.e., you) will be the jury, voting on whether the case was proven or not (typically after a spirited and lively discussion). The training ends with an emphasis on 10 or so principles sought to be demonstrated by the hearing. We have found that employees are more engaged and willing to participate in discussions with this training than with other, more traditional kinds of sexual harassment instruction. Typically, the attendees includes employees as well as managers and supervisors.

Length: 4 hours.

Williams v. Secry. of the Department of Energy,
EEO Complaint No. 9762487

Table of Contents

Page

I. Background and Instructions 2

II. Statements from the EEO Report of Investigation 7

Declaration of George L. Dawson 8
Declaration of Carol Davis 10
Declaration of Eileen Piloy 12
Declaration of Herbert Kendall 14
Declaration of Susan Williams 16

III. Deposition Statements 18

Deposition of Susan E. Williams 19
Deposition of William G. Paulson 24
Deposition of George L. Dawson 28

IV. Documents 30

Pacific State University Letter 31
Greeting Card 32
Layout, Water Management Group Section 34