April - 2021

Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén complained of sexual harassment before her murder, authorities report

U.S. Army Spc. Vanessa Guillén was just 20 years old when she was bludgeoned to death on April 22, 2020 at Fort Hood in Texas, the U.S. military’s largest active-duty base. Spc. Guillén had dreamed of a career in the military, a field historically dominated by men, ever since she was a little girl. Less than two years following high school graduation, the Houston native was being sexually harassed by a man in a position of authority over her in the Army, and then horrifically

Highlights from a Live WVPI Seminar on Bullying and Workplace Violence Prevention

Please watch the following video to hear Florida state Senator Victor M. Torres speak about the need to prevent bullying and other forms of workplace violence. Senator Torres spoke at our 2018 live event shortly after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida which left 17 innocent people - including three faculty members - dead and 17 others wounded.

How to Stop Bullying and other forms of Workplace Violence

Prevention is the only solution. Please watch the following brief video and subscribe to the channel. You can make a difference. Working together, we can can make a difference. For further information contact the WVPI via email: info@workplaceviolencepreventioninstitute.org Mrs. Angela Suttner (pictured above right) is Kenneth Suttner's mother. Peek inside her book "Where the Trail Ends" here: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Trail-Ends-Kenny-Suttner/dp/B08M2HBCYT

EEOC announces settlement in favor of teen worker harassed by management and colleagues

I have been concerned about the potential for abuse of vulnerable younger workers for many years. In 2016, I addressed these concerns in the following video on the 180 seconds You Tube channel: Then on April 23, 2021, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it settled a lawsuit on behalf of a teen worker who alleged she was sexually harassed by a manager and co-workers. The settlement involves monetary damages of $85,000 and other reli

A Primer on the EEOC

Harassment is a form of workplace violence. Certain forms of harassment are illegal under federal laws enforced by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Please watch the following brief video for a discussion about the EEOC and this agency's role in enforcing laws prohibiting workplace-based harassment. For more information, visit the EEOC's website here: https://www.eeoc.gov/

The WVPI's "3-3 Pledge" and School Safety

In 2018, the WVPI created the "3-3 Pledge" based on the concept that ensuring school safety is everyone's business. It was introduced at the two day July 2018 WVPI event in Broward County called "From Columbine to Noblesville." Michaelangelo Hamilton, a 2018 graduate of the Broward County School System where the February 14, 2018 massacre at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland occurred, signed the pledge - in a big way. In December 2018, while a student/officer at Flori

Eight Dead at FedEx: The Deadly Assault Against American Workers Continues

Late yesterday, eight employees were shot dead and several others wounded at their place of employment: A Federal Express workplace located near the Indianapolis airport. The perpetrator who committed suicide on scene, has been identified as a 19 year old resident of Indianapolis, who was an ex-employee of the facility Image courtesy: CNN This utter rage displayed at the FedEx facility is reminiscent of other workplace mass shootings, such as the 2016 tragedy at Excel Indust

EEOC Statistics - Sexual Harassment Charges

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has released statistics on sexual harassment charges for the 10 year period of F/Y 2010 through 2020. Not surprisingly in light of the pandemic which led to stay-at-home orders across the land, sexual harassment charges fell to a 10 year low of 11,497 for F/Y 2020. By comparison, the EEOC received 12,739 charges of sexual harassment in F/Y 2019 preceded by the 10 year high of 13,055 in F/Y 2018. The fact that ma

OSHA Reports Workplace Violence is now the 3rd Leading Cause of Occupational Death in US

Workplace violence can happen to anyone, anywhere contrary to the misconception that it "can't happen here or to me or to anyone I know." This past week, two HVAC technicians were amongst the six people shot dead at the home of a prominent North Carolina physician. Robert Shook, James Lewis. Photo from GoFundMe fundraiser account organized by their employer to benefit their families: https://www.gofundme.com/f/Lewisshook Mr. Shook and Mr. Lewis were both long-term employees

Some Professions Are More Dangerous Than Others

There have been 17 mass shootings so far in America this month. Law enforcement responded to all 17. Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Juan Rojas Tovar, was shot in the face on April 8th while chasing after a suspect in yet another devastating case of workplace violence, this time in Bryan, Texas. He remains in the hospital in critical but stable condition, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. One worker was killed and five people wounded in the mass workplace shoot

Workplace Violence Prevention Institute - WVPI

a not-for-profit organization

Providing Workplace Violence Prevention Research, Education and Training