- Jurisdiction
- Pennsylvania
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania
My father was let go earlier this year from his employer after dealing with a hostile work environment (including the owner whipping a jar of hotsauce at his head (and missing)). The owner my father did not get along well, but it was the owner's temper and hotheadedness that eventually led to the termination of my dad's employment. There was no argument, no fight in the end. My dad left and that was that. Or so we thought.
My father also uses the laundromat at the other end of the plaza from his (ex)employer's shop. He's been going there for years since they closed the laundromat that was closest to him. He still continues to go there since it's the next closest without having to drive several miles and waste gas. The problem now is one of his coworkers (we'll call him Joe), along with his old boss/owner, have been harassing him nonstop for the past couple of months. Today was the THIRD time the cops showed up at the laundromat because of a call Joe made spouting wild accusations. According to the police reports, my dad is accused of going up to the shop and staring in through the window, calling to threaten Joe and his wife/kids, blowing kisses at Joe, and overall antagonizing Joe outside of the store he works at.
Mind you the store has cameras all around that show the parking lot and outside, and Joe refuses to provide evidence of my dad being anywhere NEAR the shop. Joe also received a phone call (apparently this one is real but it sounds like a setup and definitely WASN'T from my father) that he had recorded in which the caller uses a voice-changer/scramble, threatens Joe's family, then identifies himself using my father's full name... It's clearly a ploy to falsify evidence; why would my dad use a voicechanger then proceed to identify himself?
The police station closest to the store literally laughed at Joe and told him not to bother them again after the second time they were called in for this supposed harassment. After that my father received a call of his own, again someone using a voice-changer, that threatened HIM this time and also threatened to drive to MY city and "carve your son's face and wear it as a mask". My dad played this message to the police but was told that they would "look into it". Nothing came of that.
Now, however, Joe was unsatisfied with that answer so he called a DIFFERENT police department for the third time around today. The officers that showed spoke to both parties individually; my dad at the laundromat and Joe at his shop. They came back and threatened my father, not believing his side of the story. My dad was told that if he visits that laundromat again and they get called out there, my father will be arrested for harassment.
He shouldn't have to drive another couple of miles out just because Joe keeps making accusations up to the police. My father doesn't go anywhere near his old store; he get's his laundry done at the laundromat and leaves.
Is there anything he can do to prevent being arrested next time besides going to a different laundromat out of town? He's calling the original station that received the first two reports to notify them that a different station was called. We'd like to lawyer up and take this company to court for the constant harassment toward my father. Do we have we need to take this to court, especially after 3 police reports filed against my dad? We'd at LEAST like a restraining order filed against them, but I don't think that's going to stop them from calling in bogus reports and going after my dad, will it? Please advise. Thanks!
My father was let go earlier this year from his employer after dealing with a hostile work environment (including the owner whipping a jar of hotsauce at his head (and missing)). The owner my father did not get along well, but it was the owner's temper and hotheadedness that eventually led to the termination of my dad's employment. There was no argument, no fight in the end. My dad left and that was that. Or so we thought.
My father also uses the laundromat at the other end of the plaza from his (ex)employer's shop. He's been going there for years since they closed the laundromat that was closest to him. He still continues to go there since it's the next closest without having to drive several miles and waste gas. The problem now is one of his coworkers (we'll call him Joe), along with his old boss/owner, have been harassing him nonstop for the past couple of months. Today was the THIRD time the cops showed up at the laundromat because of a call Joe made spouting wild accusations. According to the police reports, my dad is accused of going up to the shop and staring in through the window, calling to threaten Joe and his wife/kids, blowing kisses at Joe, and overall antagonizing Joe outside of the store he works at.
Mind you the store has cameras all around that show the parking lot and outside, and Joe refuses to provide evidence of my dad being anywhere NEAR the shop. Joe also received a phone call (apparently this one is real but it sounds like a setup and definitely WASN'T from my father) that he had recorded in which the caller uses a voice-changer/scramble, threatens Joe's family, then identifies himself using my father's full name... It's clearly a ploy to falsify evidence; why would my dad use a voicechanger then proceed to identify himself?
The police station closest to the store literally laughed at Joe and told him not to bother them again after the second time they were called in for this supposed harassment. After that my father received a call of his own, again someone using a voice-changer, that threatened HIM this time and also threatened to drive to MY city and "carve your son's face and wear it as a mask". My dad played this message to the police but was told that they would "look into it". Nothing came of that.
Now, however, Joe was unsatisfied with that answer so he called a DIFFERENT police department for the third time around today. The officers that showed spoke to both parties individually; my dad at the laundromat and Joe at his shop. They came back and threatened my father, not believing his side of the story. My dad was told that if he visits that laundromat again and they get called out there, my father will be arrested for harassment.
He shouldn't have to drive another couple of miles out just because Joe keeps making accusations up to the police. My father doesn't go anywhere near his old store; he get's his laundry done at the laundromat and leaves.
Is there anything he can do to prevent being arrested next time besides going to a different laundromat out of town? He's calling the original station that received the first two reports to notify them that a different station was called. We'd like to lawyer up and take this company to court for the constant harassment toward my father. Do we have we need to take this to court, especially after 3 police reports filed against my dad? We'd at LEAST like a restraining order filed against them, but I don't think that's going to stop them from calling in bogus reports and going after my dad, will it? Please advise. Thanks!
