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Should I file a formal complaint or not?


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I have the opportunity to file a formal complaint against a staff member of my graduate education program, but don't know if I should proceed. I'm due to graduate in the spring with two classes left to finish.

 

Part of me wants to file the formal complaint so that it goes on the employment record of the staff member permanently - what happened - yet I hesitate, because I just want to finish my graduate program without any more hassle or trouble from this staff member, who for all intent and purposes could continue to operate behind-the-scenes to obstruct and/or delay my program completion. I'm due to meet with a few other staff members whom she could easily influence (she will not be at the meeting). I've already spoken with a legal rep about my situation and was advised to leave my program and finish somewhere else, which I felt was terrible advice.

 

If you were caught between a rock and a hard place with your employer/supervisor as I am, would you file a formal complaint knowing it might jeopardize your future, or not bother, and hope the person leaves you alone?

Edited by writergal
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I've always been one to hold people accountable for their actions. I also realize you'd like to finish your program without any issues.

 

Can you hold off on the complaint? What's to stop you from filing the formal complaint after you graduate?

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I could definitely file the formal complaint next fall as I'll be done with my program already. I just worry about the timeliness of filing months after the fact.

 

I do want to finish my program with as little stress as possible, but I'm disgusted that a staff member lied to me, then lied about lying to me, while sitting in front of this person's own boss - the academic dean. Clearly this person violated the university's employee code of conduct with students and when it happened, the academic dean did nothing. I emailed him to ask him if he was going to follow up on the matter with the staff person and he has not responded to my email which would - in my opinion - put him in a worse position were I to file the formal complaint, because I would complain that the academic dean did nothing to resolve the issue with this staff person.

 

I'm like you in that I hold people accountable for their actions. In the meeting, after it happened, I commented to both people, "a title behind your name doesn't exempt you from being held accountable for your actions especially when your role and job is to help students finish a program." One thing I've learned from this experience is that is is necessary to advocate for oneself at all times. It's not alright for people with higher positions to escape accountability from their actions, esp. when the purpose of those actions is to commit intentional harm.

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