Report Instructor?

[goodgrief]

Im currently in a paramedic program, and had a situation last week that is really not sitting well with me, I dont know if I should report my instructor for being inappropriate or not. I dont want to be one of those "girls" who cant take a joke and causing trouble. Exspecially since the program just started....

Let me start this by saying, I get this is a guys field, and Im not one of those women who takes everything the wrong way. I dont have a problem with jokes and stories that are told between guys, I grew up with brothers and it doesnt bug me at all. Also I'm have very very large breasts.

Last week during an assessment practice I was in my team with two other guys and my instructor. I was the patient and the instructor starts giving on scene.

"22 WF extremely well endowed extremely, is passed out in the library. No one knows how long she has been that way but her head is laying on her books and on her really large breast"

The situation was a diabetic emergency that required D50.

What is bugging me about this, is there is NO REASON to mention my breast for a D50 issue. Everyone gets the same initial dose, weither or not they are a G or an A cup, or if they are 300 pounds or 120 pounds.

I just feel that for an instructor it was wrong to even put that in the case. I could see if it was a CPR case or a neddle decompression maybe, but not a D50.
Should I say something to the head instructor or just let it go?

 

[bstone]

Good grief, he actually said that in front of you? That's blatant sexual harassment. It's incredibly illegal and incredibly against the policies of your school (or it should be). If he did that in front of you then just think what he's capable of when he wants to be more veiled.

Report him? Absolutely. To everyone. The program director, the state board of EMS, the physician medical director. Also consider getting a lawyer.

You are a victim in this case. You shouldn't be a victim, but you are. I am so sorry this happened. If he was in my employ I would can him immediately.

You need to create a log of this. Write down an incident report and include every bit of informaiton you can remember. Date, time, who was there, what was being done, exactly what he said, etc.

 

[goodgrief]

If one of my friends made the joke I wouldnt care, but I feel for an instructor it was wrong.
I am worried about being labeled a "problem". I do feel though that the head instructor is a reasonable man.

Most of friends from EMT-I school said let it go, but its been bugging me for a week now. I think I do have to say something. Thanks for your view point it seems so straight forward in your post.

 

[Shishkabob]

Honestly, if you don't let your instructor know it makes you uncomfortable, you don't have much of a leg to stand on. If it makes you uncomfortable, it's your duty to try to stop it at the source, then move on higher until it's corrected to your satisfaction.

 

[TransportJockey]

OP, if you haven't talked to the instructor, I would say do that first before you go to the administrators. Just tell him it made you uncomfortable and that you would like him to not make those comments again. If he does it again, then tell the admins

 

[Chimpie]

Keep posts appropriate.

 

[Symbolic]

We had a similar situation In one of my classes. The Instructors were using excessive profanities and sexual innuendos. To make matters worse, this all occurred the first day of class! Someone in one of their classes reported them and they had to apologize to the class. Their demeanor completely changed and the class vibe was totally crushed. I personally had no problem with things.

You gotta do what you gotta do. The instructor should obviously already be aware of the repercussions from saying things like that, but he probably felt comfortable enough to joke around with you. I think guys often times forgot that females don't take those type of comments as compliments. If a female were to say something like "wow your crotch looks incredibly well endowed" I'm pretty sure we would be thrilled. If you report him, he will obviously catch on to what the complaint was about and who he directed it to. Could make for a really awkward rest of the semester. He's a man, just go up to him and ask him to tone it down a little bit. Obviously this is your choice, not ours.

 

[bstone]

It boils down to this- do we see EMS as something professional or do we see it as a hobby, a club, a sport.

If it's something professional then we accept absolutely zero sexual harassment, inuendo, lockerroom talk, etc. If it's a hobby or sport or a club, then we're not to be taken seriously.

There is zero tolerance and zero room for harassment. If you're a woman, black, minority or walk around with a hijab. The first word of harassment, especially coming from an instructor, needs to be dealt with swiftly and decisively- in the form of immediate termination and a state investigation.

Would you expect nurses or doctors to accept this sort of behavior in their schools or working environments?

 

[abckidsmom]

Before I reported him to every appropriate person, I would talk to him personally. Depending on his response when I spoke with him, I may never mention it again, or I may just talk to his supervisor, or I may report it to every person I can think of.

Lots of people have done stupid, stupid things before, and I have appreciated my learning experiences. If I chose not to learn from my mistakes when I was confronted with them, I should not be surprised to have them smack me in the head.

This is not a mistake that can be taken lightly.

 

[bstone]

Here is why I don't think the OP should approach him directly. He has surely done this before. He's possibly gotten a slap on the wrist for it or even a stern warning that the "next time" he'd be canned. He might have a long history or harassing women and others and may have been fired for it in the past.

Approaching him would be if he did a minor infraction or you felt he was ignoring you in class or not answering questions directly.

I am certain he signed off on his HR policies in which he acknowledges he will never sexually harass someone. He just isn't following them. I maintain my opinion to report him to everyone under the sun.

 

[lampnyter]

I honestly think he was just trying to make a joke. What he said is completely innapropriate and i think you should try talking to him first. If he doesnt seem completely and honestly sorry then you should report it if it bothers you that much.

 

[bstone]

I honestly think he was just trying to make a joke. What he said is completely innapropriate and i think you should try talking to him first. If he doesnt seem completely and honestly sorry then you should report it if it bothers you that much.

And in the workplace/school jokes such as these are prohibited. You use jokes with friends, not with people who you are paid to impart an education to.

 

[lampnyter]

And in the workplace/school jokes such as these are prohibited. You use jokes with friends, not with people who you are paid to impart an education to.

So would this be more acceptable if it was said in the truck?

 

[abckidsmom]

I honestly think he was just trying to make a joke. What he said is completely innapropriate and i think you should try talking to him first. If he doesnt seem completely and honestly sorry then you should report it if it bothers you that much.

This is the attitude among people that makes me say, skip talking to him and report it to everyone. "If it bothers you that much" is a way of saying "sheesh, it was nothing but if it bothers you that much then by all means report him." You (we, people in general) havegot to remember that talking about people in this manner is inappropriate, rude, and illegal.

If I caught someone in the act of drinking out of my glass on the table in a restaurant, it would be shocking. That is inappropriate, rude, and illegal, such that it's technically stealing. This is more shocking because it's an invasion of someone's person.

If I caught someone in the act of drinking out of my glass in a restaurant, I'd say, immediately, shocked and offended, "HEY, THAT'S NOT OK!"

This is where we need to get on sexual harassment. In the moment, everyone speaks up because it's the right thing to do, not because the girl who's coke is being drunk is going to end up thirsty later.

Whether I call management or the cops on the guy in the restaurant depends on how contrite he is after I call him on it. THAT is the only part of this that's a judgment call, IMO.

 

[lampnyter]

This is the attitude among people that makes me say, skip talking to him and report it to everyone. "If it bothers you that much" is a way of saying "sheesh, it was nothing but if it bothers you that much then by all means report him." You (we, people in general) havegot to remember that talking about people in this manner is inappropriate, rude, and illegal.

If I caught someone in the act of drinking out of my glass on the table in a restaurant, it would be shocking. That is inappropriate, rude, and illegal, such that it's technically stealing. This is more shocking because it's an invasion of someone's person.

If I caught someone in the act of drinking out of my glass in a restaurant, I'd say, immediately, shocked and offended, "HEY, THAT'S NOT OK!"

This is where we need to get on sexual harassment. In the moment, everyone speaks up because it's the right thing to do, not because the girl who's coke is being drunk is going to end up thirsty later.

Whether I call management or the cops on the guy in the restaurant depends on how contrite he is after I call him on it. THAT is the only part of this that's a judgment call, IMO.

are you talking about a stranger or your husband/boyfriend?

 

[abckidsmom]

are you talking about a stranger or your husband/boyfriend?

Stranger.

 

[lampnyter]

Stranger.

well thats obviously not okay, but are you saying you would have him arrested?

 

[bstone]

So would this be more acceptable if it was said in the truck?

The truck is the workplace. It's not acceptable.

 

[lampnyter]

The truck is the workplace. It's not acceptable.

Oh my mistake, i read the original post wrong. Ok lets say this happend in a fire department, i havent entered one fire department where the F word wasnt used in every sentence or where there arent any sexual jokes

 

[bstone]

Oh my mistake, i read the original post wrong. Ok lets say this happend in a fire department, i havent entered one fire department where the F word wasnt used in every sentence or where there arent any sexual jokes

And I have entered FDs where they were professionals and watched their language.

The days of the FD being a Boys Club are gone. Time to grow up. This sort of humor is ok when your with your own friends, but in an artificial environment like school or work it's absolutely prohibited.