Teacher’s Suicide Stuns School, Spurs Colleagues to Speak Out

by Jul 15, 2012

This story from the Chicago Tribune highlights the importance of making complaint procedures very clear to employees. It appears, of course based solely on the news report here, that Mary Thorson was frustrated, scared, and unhappy… but the district leaders had no idea. Perhaps if Mary had a stronger understanding of what avenues to take to express her feelings and to whom she should express them, she would have felt comfortable making her feelings known.

It’s easy to say, “well she should just go to her immediate boss, or the principal!” But, in a culture of fear and intimidation, the answer’s not that simple. School district leaders must focus on building a culture of civility and respect, and again, providing clear instructions on who to talk to when problems arise. If a teacher fears the principal, the teacher should have a list of other people to talk to.

Let’s hope this school district explores implementing an anti- workplace bullying program.

“On Thanksgiving, a grade-school gym teacher parked on the shoulder of Interstate 80/94 in northwest Indiana, got out of her Mercury SUV and walked in front of a moving semi truck.

The 32-year-old’s suicide shocked the tiny Ford Heights school district where she worked. In the days afterward, tension grew amid conversations by co-workers about what had happened and questions from the Army veteran’s parents. The turmoil peaked during a crowded meeting in December, when some teachers and school board members clashed.”

Do you know how much money chronically bad behavior costs your company? Spoiler alert – it’s a LOT higher than you want it to be. Download our data and worksheet to see how it’s costing your organization and what you can do to fix it.

 

Catherine

About Catherine Mattice

Catherine Mattice, MA, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, is the founder/CEO of Civility Partners, an organizational development firm focused on helping organizations create respectful workplace cultures and specializing in turning around toxic cultures. Civility Partners’ clients range from Fortune 500’s to small businesses across many industries. Catherine is a TEDx speaker and an HR thought-leader who has appeared in such venues as USA Today, Bloomberg, CNN, NPR, and many other national news outlets as an expert. She’s an award-winning speaker, author and blogger, and has 50+ courses reaching global audiences on LinkedIn Learning. Catherine’s award-winning book, BACK OFF! Your Kick-Ass Guide to Ending Bullying at Work, was hailed by international leadership-guru, Ken Blanchard, as, “the most comprehensive and valuable handbook on the topic.” Her latest book is Navigating Toxic Work Environments For Dummies (Wiley).

From Desperation to Determination: Reflecting on 16 Years of Growth

I just got an email from a spammer offering SEO help for my very old website — www.NoWorkplaceBullies.com. I hadn’t thought about that site in ages, so I typed in the link... and there it was. The original website I built the day I started my business — though it...

Sick of HR getting the blame for bullying? (For Dummies Excerpt)

As I was writing my upcoming book, Navigating a Toxic Workplace For Dummies (Wiley), I was reminded about all the research on workplace bullying that indicates HR gets the blame for bullying, HR is not helpful, and, in fact, according to the research, most often makes...

Take Care of Your Employees’ Mental Health: Employers’ Role in Addressing Burnout (Excerpt from For Dummies)

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. A good time to reflect on how work environments either support or sabotage employee well-being. Burnout is on the rise and employers’ role in addressing burnout has never been more important. If you’ve ever worked in a toxic...

4 Essential Positive Workplace Training Topics (Excerpt from For Dummies)

I’m just going to jump right in here and say that training alone won’t fix toxic behavior or turn around your toxic workplace. If it could, we’d all be ordering workshops like takeout. When positive workplace training topics are done right as part of a broader and...

3 Remote-Specific Challenges & How to Overcome Them (Excerpt from For Dummies)

May 1st is International Workers’ Day. Hooray! I don’t know about you, but I am so thankful and grateful for my overseas team members. They are the wheels that keep this company moving forward! Now that that’s out of my system, let’s talk about you. Whether you have...

Diversity Isn’t a Dirty Word: Where We Went Wrong

Earlier this year, I wrote a blog titled “DEI needed if hiring on merit is your goal” in response to Trump’s vow to “create a society that is blind to color and based on merit”. Based on the response I received, it quickly became clear that Trump isn’t the only one...

4 Smart Ways to Use AI to Build Civility at Work

Use AI to build civility. SHRM reports that 66% of U.S. employees have experienced or witnessed incivility at work. And those moments of disrespect don’t stay isolated. They ripple. Research from Christine Porath at Georgetown University shows that incivility is...

Offensive Terms to Avoid: What You Say Matters More Than You Think

According to SHRM, 66% of U.S. employees have experienced or witnessed incivility in their workplace. The most common forms include addressing others disrespectfully and interrupting others while they are speaking. Meanwhile, a Deloitte survey reveals that 84% of...

Celebrate Diversity With Music: A Playlist for Inclusivity

A few years back, we put together a playlist for inclusivity in the office and it quickly became one of our most popular blogs, proving that something as simple as music can strike a big chord (pun intended) as people find solidarity in it. So we thought, why not do...

Join our FREE WEBINAR – Fostering a Workplace Where Feedback Fuels Change

Imagine this: A senior leader makes an offhanded, inappropriate remark in a team meeting. The room tenses, eyes drop, and a few uncomfortable chuckles fill the silence. No one speaks up. You’re caught off guard, unsure what to do. Later, someone from that meeting...