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Should I file a written complaint?
During the beginning of the semester, my biology teacher listed me as a no show b/c I asked her what the course ID for our class was on the second week of school. She automatically thought I was not doing my work and deleted me from the class. I asked two teachers who are also counselors on the same day about what I should do. They said I should be fine and not to worry. This should not affect me. I received a bill mid semester for $50 for the bio teacher dropping me. It was a small amount so I paid it. I had some questions about why I was billed since I am fully covered by two grants. The clerk didn’t know the answer and suggested I talk to the dean. I said no, since I was planning on calling financial aid about it. She went behind my back and told the dean anyways. The dean pulled my out of class to talk about it. She said she’ll look into the bill and teacher. I found out from a friend that I could call the business office as soon as it happened and they would fix it for me if the teacher made a mistake. I found it strange that the two teachers/counselors didn’t tell me this.
A few days later, the dean said it was too late to do anything. I was very emotional b/c I recently found out from my doctor that I developed an incurable neurological disease that might make me permanently blind. I had a nervous breakdown in her office and told her about my health and cried. She wished me well and A few days later I went to the bathroom to finish crying and went back to class. The dean’s secretary heard everything and followed me to class. She suggestions I speak to a financial aid rep. who is on campus. I told her that I spoke to one on the phone already and was sure I would get the same answer. I told her I want to be alone and please give me some space. The secretary would not leave until I went and so I reluctantly did. The financial aid rep. was in the library. I speak to her about the bill and my health. She told me the same thing as the one on the phone. I had another cry session in front of everyone and felt humiliated. Even now I am still crying about my diagnosis. I am undergoing treatment. My condition is improving, but I have to wait to get an all clear from my doctor. I took the summer off school to focus on my treatments. If I don’t get better I might have to have brain surgery.
I spoke to the clerk and asked her why she told the dean. She said it was her responsibility to report any grievance against the school. I was not filing a grievance I just had questions. Now I am considering filling one because of her actions that made this incident spiral out of control.
I have not spoken to the secretary. I didn’t know who she was at the time. A few days after all of this occurred I spoke to the dean about the woman who was eavesdropping on us. The dean tried to explain that it was not called eavesdropping when the door is open and the secretary’s desk is right there. The bottom line is. I was never introduced to the secretary. I didn’t know she was there. How was I supposed to feel when a stranger comes up to me and tells me she was listening to a conversation that I thought was private. I told her I was offended by her secretary and am considering transferring to another college. I don’t know what the proper procedure is, but the way they handled it was completely disorganized and unprofessional.
I am very angry and upset by the actions of the clerk and secretary. I knew that they wanted to help me, but I said clearly said no to both of them. Yet, they violated my privacy. I am going through a tough time and told them to please leave me alone, but on one was respecting that. I asked one of my teachers for advice and she said I could file a written complaint on the teacher, dean, secretary, and clerk. I feel like I don't want too b/c I didn’t want to get them in trouble. But this has caused me a lot of stress and I have fallen into depression. Please give me advice. I would really appreciate it.
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On the issue of privacy the legal definition has a very fine determination. With the door to the deans office open during your conversation with the Dean it would be apparent to any reasonable person (legal meaning of the words) that there is no expectation of privacy. Had the door been closed then you would have had a reasonable expectation of privacy and the secretary could be seen as eavesdropping.
From a purely legal standpoint your belief that you were having a private conversation with the dean does not meet the test and any grievance you might file on that point won't be accepted or adjudicated by the panel reviewing your grievance.
Where you do have a right to file a formal grievance is on the teacher for her automatic belief you were not working in the class and dropping you. This to me is a givable offence. As for the unprofessional way this was handled and the interference by the secretary. I'm not sure fileing a grievance on those things will get you the resolution you seek and may only add to your depression.
My advice therefore is that first you concentrate on your health and seek treatment for your depression if you are not already getting treatment for it. Depression is a strange malady in that while depressed we perceive thing not always as they are. They tend to be colored by are depression making the depression even worse.
The depression you are probably suffering from is called Clinical depression which is brought on by stress and pain. Between your health issues and what is happening at school you certainly have the stress to bring on depression and that depression cause mental pain and can cause physical pain as well. Worse it works in a cycle building on itself. It could even slow your recovery from your other health issues.
How do I know all this. I'm not a doctor but I had a similar situation as yours when I was involved in an auto accident. I was stopped at a traffic light when I was run into in an accident that in total involved 2 other cars; With everyone trying to duck their responsibility to me. It became too much and I fell into a depressive state probably just like the one you are in. So I know how you may feel and I can tell you that professional help with your depression is in order and will help in dealing with your other medical problems as well.
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Although the way they acted was unprofessional, it's unlikely that is rises to the point of unethical or actions that require discipline. I think you should take a big step back and just focus on your health.
From what you've described here clerk really didn't do anything wrong. You had reported a 'grievance' (which just means something is wrong, it doesn't have to be a formal grievance) and they may well have had a responsibility to bring that to the Dean's attention. For all you know, it could be an ongoing issue with this teacher, and the clerk had been told to bring any problems at all to the Dean's attention.
The secretary should have handled the information about your health with more sensitivity, and shouldn't have pressured you to take a certain action (especially since it wasn't the correct action) however the Dean was also correct: Your conversation with them wasn't strictly speaking 'private'. Most authorities at big schools avoid 'private' one-on-one conversations with students because it leaves them open to 'he said/she said' liabilities. You certainly have a valid complaint against the secretary for the way she used this information, for interfering and causing you more stress, but the fact she HAD the information may not have necessarily been inappropriate.
If you want to file a complaint, then you should (although, as I said, I think the only valid complaint you have is against the secretary, not the clerk). You don't need to worry about them 'getting in trouble'. If the Dean and school has information and policies that you don't know about, then they wont get in trouble for having followed them.
Dealing with a large organization is always tough. Even at the best of times you can get conflicting information, bad advice, have to talk to the same people or fill out the same paper work twice, and this confusion happened to you at a most inconvenient time, but that doesn't make what they did any more wrong, just more unfortunate. Try to take a deep breath and let it go for now. Make the decision about what college is best for you to attend, and if that isn't this one, then transfer.
Good luck.
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