Upsetting

To set the stage - in our department at TVCC (The Very Conservative Corporation), the Helpdesk has an on-call person. Currently, this duty rotates between Ms. Packratty, Our Hardware Wizard (a quiet man, packed with knowledge) and the Massive Minister (at least 500 lbs. + and a youth minister at some church). The drama also includes SBM, a co-worker who has usually been quiet and had hitherto projected a pleasant demeanor.

So anyway, Ms. Packratty had taken the oncall laptop and Blackberry from MM on Monday and assumed her weekly duties. Tuesday midday, while out at lunch, the Blackberry started chiming in her pocket. When she checked the Blackberry, she discovered that MM had apparently been using the device for personal messaging and that his IM ID was still signed in. What Ms. Packratty then read was one side of a disgusting conversation between MM and SBM in which she could see only SBM's messages.

In this conversation, SBM complained about co-workers and then launched into a vile discussion of someone in another department, speculating on her availability in the crudest sexual terms. Ms. P turned the Blackberry over to her manager upon returning for lunch Tuesday and showed her the nasty IMs, but here it is noon on Wednesday and both of the miscreants are still at work. Note, I did NOT say working.

Considering that a white male co-worker was suspended for 3 days because he was suspected of surfing naughty sites (it turned out that he had remoted a tower at a detached location and forgotten to log off and someone at that location abused his login), the fact that these two lumps, who were a> using a company Blackberry for personal use (MM) and b> while at work, carrying on a vile discussion and denigrating women (SBM) are still sitting here is a bit upsetting. Frankly, I feel queasy sitting across from SBM after reading the way he refers to women (think as "pieces of meat") and revolted that an alleged minister would participate in a conversation like that.

I'm beginning to think I should have taken it directly to HR, but since I have been dinged for going over her head, I did not, nor did I stand my ground when I asked her to call HR before I showed her the IMs. I'm beginning to think that it's all going to disappear. Big surprise.