7/27/2019 Waddell Complaint of Abendano

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TO: EEOC

Since October of 2011 I have been the subjected to a continuing hostile work environment by co-worker Colleen

Abendano that is pointedly aimed at getting me fired or causing my constructive termination. I have brought the

issue up with supervisors, department heads and city council members and have yet to get relief or have the

problem solved in any manner. I am seeking redress in this issue in such a manner that I may continue to work at

my current position (since September 2008) without being subjected to the current treatment that I am receiving.

The ongoing hostile work environment has affected my physical well being and has placed me under medical care.

The last incident representative of the ongoing treatment was on December 22, 2011 when Officer Abendano

refused to sign my time sheet. The argument occurred in front of then interim Chief of Police S.G. Gillen who told

us both to quit the arguing. There were multiple issues of this nature with my payroll where she had refused

and/or failed to sign it in the past causing me to have to go to Town Council members to have them signed so that

I could get paid. Durng one incident Officer Abendano said that I had not signed or completed the time sheet and

she whited out my information and overwrote it. I saved that sheet along with her note and my original, correct

information can be seen there.

Prior to Chief Gillen being interim and now permanent Officer Abendano, as the senior officer, had been assigned

as the Officer in Charge (OIC) of the Police Department. During that time she continually took me to task for doing

work that was a part of my job; such as collecting and monitoring time sheets, putting in payroll and obtaining

drivers license information. She continued to bring up these issues even after being OIC and even after apparently

being corrected about my job duties.

Officer Abendano has further caused a hostile work environment for me by making disparaging remarks about me

to co-workers and other town employees; including police officers, other departmental secretaries, clerks of court

and contracted service employees. It has made my job more difficult, when people I used to speak with on friendly

terms on a regular basis have become short, curt and even rude toward me after them having contact with Officer

Abendano. Indeed she has made it a point to go to these different employees and make comments about me to

the effect that I was not to do certain things that were actually my job; such as billing, purchase orders and payroll.

Officer Abendano has been noted over this period of time to have spent an inordinate amount of time at our Town

Hall speaking to these individuals that I later had problems with. Officer Abendano became short and rude with

me even during our normal workday relationship. She does not speak to me and ignores me. I do not know what I

have done to cause this attitude from her.

Prior to Chief of Police S.G. Gillen taking over the Hayden Police Department I had spoke to supervisors and past

Chiefs about these issues. They have made comments to the effect that Officer Abendano was having a bad day or

being spiteful and made promises to get us together in an attempt to resolve the issues, but have never followed

through. Indeed, there had removed some of my responsibilities from me that Officer Abendano had complained

about sometimes making my job even harder. I have never been addressed for being in the wrong, however oneinterim chief even made disparaging remarks about our being embroiled in a cat-fight. I wish for this type of

behavior toward me to cease. I have attached a list of incidents that I have documented along with the dates that

they occurred.

Yvette Waddell, Office Manager

Hayden Police Dept.