When Carl Sassaman’s boss demanded that he resign after a co-worker accused Sassaman of sexual harassment, the county employee shocked his boss by suing for sex discrimination. Sassaman says he was upset that in the “he said-she said” stand-off, his employer treated his female accuser’s word as gospel while discounting his own vehement denials. Rather than investigating, Sassaman’s male boss at the Dutchess County (N.Y.) Board of Elections asked police to look into the woman’s allegations of harassment and stalking. Police didn’t find evidence to justify criminal charges.
Meanwhile the 60-year-old elections administrator was offered two options in 2005: resign or be fired. According to Sassaman, his boss informed him at that time: “I really don’t have any choice. [Your accuser] knows a lot of attorneys; I’m afraid she’ll sue me. And besides, you probably did what she said you did because you’re male and nobody would believe you anyway.”
