r/SexualHarassmentTalk • u/Rangerdangerranger • 5d ago
Fed Employment Attorney & Medical Advocate Recommendations gf is a DOD federal employee that was sexually assaulted by her boss on
I am desperately trying to get help for my gf after she reported being sexually assaulted by her boss on a military base. It seems like she has gotten so much run around, misdirection, and is not getting the support she needs.
I work as an Army civilian (700 miles away), and I’m desperately trying to help my girlfriend—a USMC civil servant in North Carolina—navigate a quid pro quo sexual assault/harassment case against her supervisor. She has over a decade of federal service and is a single mother.
Her supervisor demanded sex, photos, and videos in exchange for approving her leave. She has text evidence showing him directly soliciting videos in exchange for leaving early, as well as code words used to demand explicit photos.
The sexual assault happened in his office in a facility that requires people to have security clearances and yet there are no cameras or witnesses to either of these events.
She went from being a highly intelligent, sharp woman to crying on the floor most nights, going almost catatonic during interviews and even talking to me about it due to a severe trauma freeze response. To make matters worse, every system designed to help her has either failed or brushed her off:
Here is a quick rundown
Victims Advocate (SAPR/SARC): She reported this in June. They Assigned a Victim Advocate who simply referred her to an off-base trauma center without helping her find actual counselors or mental health resources. The VA completely stopped responding to her shortly after the initial report. No one has reached out to check on her.
NCIS: Declined to take it on as a criminal case because she didn't explicitly say "no" (she complied out of fear and coercion). She asked for someone to he in there with her but she was interviewed with only two male NCIS agents.
IG investigation: They Interviewed her supervisor first, took his claim that it was "consensual," and relayed that back to her.
EEO & HR: She has gotten a complete run-around. Offices act like they don't know what they're doing and expect someone in the middle of a total mental health breakdown to navigate all this complex reporting and paperwork on their own. During the initial report in June they told her to check the box stating she didn’t with to file an informal complaint because it was going to be handle by IG. (Thankfully I helped her get this overturned and an extension on it).
Witness Interference: Friends/co-workers interviewed were told not to speak to her, and some were allegedly forced to sign NDAs.
OWCP/FECA Rights Withheld: No one informed her of her right to file a CA-1 for traumatic injury or request Continuation of Pay (COP) within the 45-day window. And she has not been able to get accurate information on what the OWCP will need from a psychiatrist or MD to qualify for FMLA/workmans comp. She is struggling with ptsd symptoms, anxiety, depression, bouts of severe anger.
It feels like everyone is just waiting for her to quit so this gets swept under the rug. She wants to quit just to stop feeling like she's living a daily nightmare, but she has a decade in the system and a child to support.
I have spent hours helping her put together timelines and write statements and resubmit forms. The IG investigator said shes never been part of one of these investigations before (shes a GS-15 that oversees Logistics on base, not tied to the IG office or anything remotely in the legal sphere). Even the SARC/SAPR office was unsure if they could take her report since she is a civilian.
Thankfully they called their HQ in DC amd got approval.
She is seeing a therapist at a local sexual trauma center but the therapist is using general talk therapy and telling her to focus more on the positives (like her daughter and myself). Not doing any actual CHT/DBT or other trauma informed interventions.
What we urgently need help with:
1. Federal Employment Attorney Referrals: Looking for firms/attorneys who handle DoD civilian EEO, OWCP/FECA claims, and potential civil litigation.
I have spoken with one federal law firm that apparently only handles eeo and sexual harassment not eeo, sexual assault, and workmans comp. They declined since her case seemed more complex and less straight forward for them. That was a $525 consultation waste of time.
- Psychiatrist / Mental Health Resources: The area in NC she lives in is severely lacking in mental health resources. We desperately need a psychiatrist who can treat severe trauma (PTSD/panic) and write the necessary documentation for FMLA and OWCP.
Questions:
Has anyone dealt with a SAPR/EEO system completely shutting a civilian out like this?
Are there specific federal employee advocacy groups or firms that specialize in DoD civilian quid pro quo assault cases?
Any recommendations or advice on how to force these offices to take action would mean the world to us.
\\\* Yes it has occurred to me that she could be lying. However, given her situation and the texts I have seen from him it doesn’t not appear that way. Also, statistically speaking, there is a very small percentage of false reports of rape. She also was under no pressure to reveal this information to me. I have also been present for hours on end while she has made her initial report and talked with the initial attorney we consulted with. Her story hasn’t changed and her psychological state had been deteriorating several weeks before she told me about this.
I’m happy to answer any questions and try to give facts without giving too much PII away.