Jaime Lee Jones
Essay by Maxi • July 28, 2012 • Research Paper • 3,957 Words (16 Pages) • 1,438 Views
Jamie Leigh Jones was gang-raped by several of her co-workers on July 28th, 2005 at Camp Hope, Baghdad Iraq. The co-workers gave Jamie a drink which contained a date rape drug. After a couple of sips of the drink, Jamie lost consciousness. The co-workers, or now her attackers, began to assault her. They had unprotected vaginal and anal sex with her. She was physically injured as a result of the gang rape. Her anus and vagina had lacerations, her breast implants were ruptured, and her pectoral muscles were torn. She was severely abused and bloodied and in out of consciousness. Jamie did not awake until the next day.
The stakeholders in this civil suit are Jamie Leigh Jones, her husband Joseph Daigle, who also is member of the United States Army, Halliburton, Eric Iler, Charles Boartz and the attackers which they employ. Jamie is also an employ of Halliburton. Previously Jamie was employed as an administrative assistant for Halliburton in Houston, Texas. Jamie had an issue with a supervisor here which followed her to Iraq. Her mother was very sick and due to have a very complicated surgery. Apparently, Jamie had to spend time with her mother and her current supervisor Eric Iler attempted to take advantage of Jamie during this vulnerable time in her life.
Eric tried to get sexual favors from Jamie during this time because he was her direct superior. Jamie was able to prove that her supervisor was sexually harassing her and she was eventually moved to another department away from Mr. Iler. After being transferred to her new department, shortly after that she was moved to Iraq. Mr. Iler learned of her transfer and was upset and tried to retaliate against Jamie. He then tried to get transferred himself to another position in Iraq which would made him her superior again. This did not work for Eric, it actually backfired on him. Jamie found out and notified a manager who assured her that they would not be directly working together again. Eric again attempt to stop Jamie's transfer by submitting a bad recommendation to her new supervisor. He wanted this recommendation to go in her file.
Jamie was transferred to Camp Hope, Iraq and began her new assignment July 25, 2005. She lived in a predominately male barrack. Her room was on a co-ed floor of the barrack. The housing arrangement was supplied by her employer Halliburton. Halliburton had direct control of these living quarters for its employees. Jamie's room was away from other women, she had no restroom facilities near her , she had to walk past all of the men's rooms to get to the bathroom that she shared with the other women. She was harassed by the men with vulgar words, and men exposing themselves to her. The men were always drinking because alcoholic beverages are allowed in their barracks, this contributed to the sexual harassment that she received from this men on a daily basis. According to the text, the definition of sexual harassment, as any repeated, unwanted behavior of a sexual nature perpetrated upon one individual by another.( Ferrell 2009 p72) Jamie was sexually harassed by fellow employees when they made unwanted remarks to her as she walked in the barracks. She was harassed by her previous supervisor Eric Iler who made unwanted sexual advances toward her. Now, as a result of the sexual harassment, it created a hostile work environment for Jamie. A hostile work environment is defined as the conduct was unwelcome; the conduct was severe, and regarded by the claimant as so hostile or offensive as to alter his or her conditions of employment; and the conduct was such that a reasonable person would find it hostile or offensive.(Ferrell 2009 p72) This conduct by her fellow employees clearly interfered with her with her work performance. The abusive and intimidating behavior exhibited by her co-workers hurt Jamie and altered her work performance. Abusive and intimidating behavior is very common ethical problem in the work place. It is anything, physical threats, false accusations, being annoying, profanity, insults, yelling, harshness, ignoring someone, and unreasonableness.(Ferrell 2009 p65) The act of being civil in the workplace has become a major problem because not only it is a problem in the workplace, it is problem in the society. It causes the productivity of the workplace, and society to be unproductive because too much time is being spent dealing with or handling abusive relationships or situations.
The case of Jamie Leigh Jones presents many legal issues for Halliburton. Halliburton is a very large company with many holdings. They are a engineering and construction company that provide project management and services to the oil industry. Halliburton's company vision is to be "the premier global solutions provider for energy services, engineering and construction, and energy equipment."(Halliburton) They stress 4 key goals that will help them serve their customers, they are: operational excellence, technological leadership, innovative business relationships and maintenance of a dynamic workforce. Halliburton's goal for its employees is to be a part of a corporate culture that will be productive and prosperous throughout the world. In the case of Jamie Leigh Jones, they failed at this objective. They did not create a productive corporate culture that helped her be productive. Halliburton failed Jamie Jones terribly. Jamie was sexually harassed and also discriminated against while she was at her first position in Houston, Texas, then she was again at Camp Hope, Baghdad Iraq. Racial and sexual discrimination creates major ethical issues in the workplace, and within the corporate world. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, public assistance status, disability, age, national origin, or veteran status are illegal in the United States.(Ferrell, 2009 p70) This now is cause for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to get involved legally with this case verse Halliburton on behalf of Jamie Jones. The responsibility of this United States commission is to enforce federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age(40 or older), disability, genetic information. It is also illegal to discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.(EEOC.gov overview) Also, a case can be made for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration(OSHA) to get involved. They enforce the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which mandates that employers provide safe and healthy working conditions for all workers.(Ferrell 2009 p99) The environment that Jamie worked in was not
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