Playing a Dangerous Game by Everett D. Wair, Sr. reminded me of a terrible and visceral experience a friend had to endure. In the end, he was getting blamed for nothing!
A false sexual harassment accusation is pretty weighty. It’s a burden that often seems insurmountable. And while the vast majority of accusations are credible—and should be investigated to the fullest extent of the law—when you are part of the small percentage that are falsely blamed, it’s damaging. When you are blamed for nothing, your reputation is shattered, your relationships are damaged (for some, irrevocably), and you are left feeling isolated and alone.
In the case of my friend, the accusation was made by a former colleague of his. She wasn’t from the same department he was; he never even had any physical or verbal interactions with her! And there she was, claiming that he made inappropriate advances towards her during a work event. Thankfully, when things were investigated and brought to court, her story was soon discovered to be riddled with inconsistencies! Also, there wasn’t even any corroborating evidence that was presented!
Getting Blamed for Nothing
Before his redemption, though, despite the initial lack of credibility, the accusation quickly spread through their workplace; it even spilled out to his community for a while. He was ostracized by his colleagues, and the promotion he was set to receive was put on hold. The emotional toll was immense. You could see it on his face. He was constantly on edge. He constantly felt like he was being watched and judged. And he lost hours of sleep. He couldn’t muster any appetite, and his motivation essentially fizzled up. His life was falling apart.
Yet, at some point, some strength found him. He knew he couldn’t give up. He had to fight back. It was a false accusation, and it wouldn’t define him. So, with my help, we hired an attorney and began the arduous process of gathering evidence to clear his name.
Investigations like these are long and harrowing. It took nearly half a year to get everything we could to uncover the truth. If you want to expose the baselessness of any accusation, you need to work your ass off. And, by Jove, we got my friend exonerated.
If the anxiety that ate him up before that was palpable, the relief that washed over him was equally so.
But, even after his name was cleared, some damage had already been done. It would be insane to stay at his workplace after all the things it subjected him to. A silver lining would be, though, that we saw the true colors of some people.
While the experience left my friend with deep trauma, it also helped us understand the devastating impact of false sexual harassment accusations. Even though the courts may absolve you, the accusation lingers long after it’s been proven false.
I Am Innocent, I Swear!
False sexual harassment accusations can have far-reaching consequences. They destroy careers, relationships, and reputations. They can lead to emotional distress, anxiety, and depression. And they can even lead to suicide. Thankfully, my friend didn’t succumb to any of that.
In addition to these, false accusations have a chilling effect on society. They make people more hesitant to those who were falsely accused, especially in professional settings. These also lead to overcorrections, such as employers being afraid to discipline or fire employees for fear of being sued for sexual harassment.
Firstly, we have to improve the way we investigate these things. This includes ensuring that investigations are conducted fairly. It also means giving the accused the opportunity to defend themselves.
Secondly, we need to better educate people about the dangers of false accusations. This includes teaching people about the warning signs of false accusations and how to avoid making them.
Lastly, we need to provide more support for those who have been falsely accused. This includes providing them with access to legal and emotional support. It also means helping them to rebuild their careers and relationships.
I believe that it’s important for people who have been falsely accused to speak out about their experiences.
I also believe that it is important for people to be more understanding and supportive of those who have been falsely accused.
Playing a Dangerous Game by Everett D. Wair, Sr. is a very cathartic narrative about a man doing all he can to fix a false accusation.
The Damsel’s Files 