I was a new
teacher/librarian at the school that poisoned me. Most teachers wore perfume.
The principal wore cologne. Everyone sprayed air fresheners to camouflage the
stink of mold, bus fumes and new carpet glue. As a librarian and specialist
instructor, I saw all staff members and all students every week through
scheduled visits. Students would come up to me, point their little wrists
toward my nose and say with pride, "I smell just like my teacher." Oh
joy.
Around the
end of the first month of teaching with my health declining rapidly, I casually
mentioned the fragrance issue with the principal as we stood out at the buses.
I made an appointment with him to discuss the situation in more detail. He
seemed like a really nice guy. I was convinced if he would simply request the
teachers and staff to not wear fragrances, I'd be fine. I'd at least survive through
the end of the year when I'd find another job. This was my fifth teaching position
in my career and the only one that has ever affected my health.
After hearing
my concerns instead of being supportive, the principal informed me he didn't
have to accommodate me because it was my choice to work there. I wasn't
required to stay. I can leave anytime I want. Therefore, accommodation wasn't a
requirement. I knew his line of reasoning was backwards, but he was never very
smart and usually in a perpetual state of confusion. He somehow skewed
disability information or tweaked it for his convenience. I didn't argue
because I liked my job and didn't want to lose it. He also said I wasn't to discuss it with
anyone because he didn't want to start a "perfume
war". Before the end of the meeting after much coercing, he agreed to
look into my problem and get back with
me later in the week.
At first I had
hope, after all he said he'd look into
it. Not about to take anything for granted and since I was the school's
librarian skilled at research, I started doing my own research and by the end
of the week I had a stack of papers a foot high plus a few books on schools and
associated environmental health issues. At the end of the week, having not
heard from him as he was trying to avoid me, I literally cornered him in the
hallway and asked what he found out. Nothing.
He couldn't find a thing on the subject. Oh well. Too bad. As he skirted
away as quickly as possible, I followed carrying my stack of research into his
office and promptly set it on his desk. I said as sweetly as I could stomach,
"Here is the research I did. I'm sure you'll find it very interesting."
[You ignorant asshole.]
Life went on.
I did everything possible to fly low and avoid being a target. Teachers were on
probation during their first year at a new school district. Not only was this
job on the line, but my whole teaching career. You don't ever screw up your
first year anywhere or you may never work again. As the school year progressed,
I got sicker and sicker. It was impossible to keep a low profile when I was
required to work directly with smelly people, go to staff meetings, sit in on
parent conferences, go to social events, be on committees, and perform the
basic duties of a teacher. I even had to use the children's restroom because
the staff bathroom was air freshened constantly. Teachers aren't allowed to use
children's restrooms due to child sexual abuse laws, but I really didn't have a
choice. Restroom breaks became very stressful. I continued to send the principal
copies of my research and medical evaluations, including letters of
accommodation from various doctors. He continued to ignore me.
Seven months
later, I could see the finish line...and then my assistant was promoted to
another position. She was going to be replaced. I panicked. Suppose they hire
someone who wears perfume? The day she gave notice we received a district
newsletter and on the front page was an article for a law firm that specializes
in education and employment law. Come on
in for a free consultation!
I explained
my situation to the lawyer and asked how I might be able to legally request
accommodation to assure my new assistant would be fragrance-free. He explained the
hiring committee must state at the interview that the position is
fragrance-free. If this isn't done and the new perfume-wearing employee is
asked to not wear perfume on her first day, she can sue the school for
discrimination. How backwards. He offered to write me a letter of accommodation
to clearly explain how this hiring practice is implemented. I declined and told
him I'd rather write my own as it would be less threatening. He told me exactly
what to include.
I sent the
letter to the principle via email the next day. Unfortunately, in order to
substantiate my information on hiring procedures for my new assistant, I
mentioned in the letter that I had met with a lawyer who gave me advice. I
thought I was being helpful in order to save time in case he was wondering
where I got the information. We were due to start interviewing for the
assistant position in a couple days.
Within an
hour the principal stormed into my library and cornered me near a bookshelf
where I was working, demanded to know why I went behind his back to seek legal
counsel when it should have been addressed informally with him so he could take
care of it. He was furious. If he wasn't whispering, he would have been screaming
at me. My assistant told me later she was watching us, suspiciously, and on the
surface everything looked fine, but she had a bad vibe.
I responded
to him that I had INFORMALLY
addressed the situation over and over and over again for the last seven months
and that it had INFORMALLY been swept
under the rug and I had INFORMALLY
become so sick I could hardly function. WHEN
WAS HE INFORMALLY GOING TO DO SOMETHING? I was also whispering,
professional, and calm, but I was really furious. After all those months of
being sick, stressed out and playing nice it was all I could do to control the
rage. He wasn't impressed at my new assertiveness, but he said nothing. He
stormed out of the library only to return at the end of the school day to
inform me, very formally with the assistant principal in tow as a witness, when
my performance evaluation would be held. I should bring my union representative. I
recognized this was the beginning of the end. He was taking steps to get rid of
me.
At the performance
evaluation my union representative called in sick. He was a useless piece of
shit anyway so it was no great loss. The principal told me I didn't get along
with anyone, I didn't go to staff meetings, I was lacking in interpersonal
communication skills, and I was going to need to complete training courses to increase
my productivity to make me a better team player. I was put on notice. If I didn't
comply, I would be fired. What was really funny is I had already taken the classes
he was requiring at another job. When I informed him, he gave me a dirty look.
It really didn't matter what I did, he wanted me gone...this was just the first
step.
I should have
asked if I was such a horrible employee why he waited seven months to have this
meeting. I probably should have asked why chemical sensitivity was never mentioned
as the cause of most of his accusations. I didn't. I had had it with his
incompetence. I smiled sweetly and pretended to be compliant.
Later than night
I returned to the school, packed up all my belongings and walked off the job
with no intention of returning. This wasn't a rash move on my part, although it
no doubt surprised everyone. I had been meeting with a union representative
outside my district who was very experienced and knowledgeable about employee
rights, unlike my own union representative who told me there was nothing he
could do. She told me if the environment was poisoning me, and no one was
taking any steps to rectify the problem, how could I possibly justify staying?
In fact, by struggling to maintain my position and continuing to stay in an
environment that I claim is killing me, it sends a message that the situation
can't be that bad. Good point.
What do you
do if you are denied accommodation?
First step is
to quit your job. Find something less toxic for income. Find an employer who
will accommodate you. Work from home. Is this easy? No. Is it necessary to
maintain some glimmer of health? Usually. Change is difficult anyway, but
change with income loss is even harder, sometimes unfathomable. Do you really
want to be in a situation where you are being poisoned on a daily basis? Watching
what's left of your health disintegrate with each new exposure? Don't hang on
for months or years hoping for a miracle. Find a job counselor to assess your
employable skills and make some changes. What is that saying? When a door
closes, a window opens? By being courageous enough to change, you might just
find the career of your dreams.
The second
step is to sue the asses off the incompetent idiots who refused accommodation. Most
understanding of multiple chemical sensitivity is due to lawsuits. Employers
don't want to be sued. Each lawsuit
develops precedent which promotes forced awareness and inspires a serious look
at accommodation policies, managerial training, and employee handbook
procedures. Lawsuits are not just about winning money. They are about affecting
change and being taken seriously. Discuss your options with an attorney to ascertain
if you even have a case. You might not.
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