My husband is a 30-year-citizen of the U.S., originally born in Iran. A day after 9/11, my husband was threatened on his job by another employee who said "I'm going to shoot you in the head in the parking lot!" That was the beginning of five years of (what I perceive as) merciless harassment and persecution by his immediate supervisor and his department coworkers. The first employee was finally fired (for other reasons) several years after the first incident. My husband's locker has been glued shut with "ayatollah" smeared across the front, he has been accused of searching hte internet for bomb-making information, etc. Reading through the Texas labor law threads and here, I'm horribly discouraged as to what we can do. He has a tremendous work ethic, always works the holidays and overtime for his department, but WHAT CAN WE DO to eliminate the harassment? (I know you're going to say "quit," but he won't.)

Is none of this illegal? We've filed a claim with the EEOC, who has said there is a case, but it's gone no further. What should we be doing? What really IS illegal?

I'm so ashamed of how my fellow Americans are treating my husband, but we have to stick to the law right now. So what's allowed, and what's disallowed when it comes to discrimination?

It's unfortunate that your husband has received such treatment by his coworkers and supervisors. You have a definite right to be concerned. And from what you posted here, your husband has taken the proper recommended first steps. He's notified his employer of the treatment. And when all else failed, he contacted the EEOC for assistance. The fact that the EEOC has acknowledged that he has a case is in his favor. Unfortunately the EEOC is funded by taxpayer dollars. The point is they do not have endless resources. The EEOC has to pick and choose which cases they wish to accept. By no means am I belittling the merits of your husband's claim. I am just pointing out why the EEOC may not have moved further after their determination of your husband's case. I am no lawyer; but I'd recommend that you seek one if you desire to continue this case.

Also if your husband is receiving threats of physical harm, he may want to contact local law enforcement and discuss the specifics of those threats.

Thank you Robb! Yes, Max should have reported the threats of violence to the police back when it happened, but I'm not sure why he didn't do so. I'd have to quiz him on that. However, your thoughts on EEOC confirmed what I suspected... it's not that the case is not without merit, but EEOC is a governmental entity, and with it all the usual red tape.

After reading so many of the other posts, I was expecting to hear that we'd have to just shut up and take it; I'm encouraged that you suggest consulting an attorney, which we plan to do immediately (not knowing more about the EEOC investigation... but I may try to find out what I can there too this week, on my own). Thank you again. I was beginning to think all the laws protecting employees were nothing more than pieces of paper.

I was expecting to hear that we'd have to just shut up and take it

Not at all. A great many people here complain of treatment that is not illegal - it is not illegal to be a jerk. But harassment on the basis of national origin IS illegal.

I would definitely have your husband check with the EEOC - as Robb points out, they are underfunded and overworked. Has your husband received a right to sue letter yet?

Consulting an attorney specializing in workplace discrimination woldn't be a bad idea either.

I was expecting to hear that we'd have to just shut up and take it

Not at all. A great many people here complain of treatment that is not illegal - it is not illegal to be a jerk. But harassment on the basis of national origin IS illegal.

I would definitely have your husband check with the EEOC - as Robb points out, they are underfunded and overworked. Has your husband received a right to sue letter yet?

Thank you again. No, we/he hasn't receive a right to sue letter. In my niavete with the EEOC, all I can say is we seem to be stagnating. We've been told there is a case, but no mediation has been set, nor has the case been closed. Never having dealt with anything like this before, I don't really know what that means.

I work for a large lawfirm myself, but obviously staff is very discouraged from bringing personal problems to work to be solved there. HOWEVER, I did solicit three recommendations for labor attorneys outside my firm, and you're confirming that my feeling is proper ~~ we should be contacting advice over and above EEOC. Thank you.

Daily, I hear stories of what would probably come under the heading of "jerk behavior". But knowing where all this started, and the intermittant flare-ups of outright racial bias, tells me where the daily harassment stems from. I've taken over the job of keeping a daily log of events/comments/emails, etc. I'd prefer my husband just go somewhere else and not waste years out of his life being treated like scum for things he's never been guilty of and for beginnings he didn't chose (but certainly isn't ashamed of), but if he wants to fight back this time, then I want to help him. Having grown up in Texas, I know some of the best people in the world can be found here, but so can some of the most biased and backwards.

Thanks again. I think we're on the right track.

If there's no right to sue letter, they're still working on it. Don't be discouraged.

You should give EEOC a call and find out the status of the processing of your husband's charge, how they plan to process it and give you some indication of how long the processing should take.

Well, looks like what I underwent. The fact that the EEOC is taking this long & possibly not responding in a timely manner indcates that in my opinion EEOC is not for or worse. Getting an attorney may be difficult too. The EEOC I guess will find no probable cause for some reason or other & issue a right to sue letter. That is important. There is a tight time limit and one should be well aware of it. Be truthful & principled. You and your family will be the real winners whatever the outcome of this matter is.