A friend who owns several successful gyms throughout the city called recently and the conversation started in the usual fashion.
“Hey, Eden. How are you? I was wondering if you could give me some advice….”
Several of his trainers had gone out drinking to celebrate, and all imbibed a little too much. What happened next was a case of wrong-place-wrong-time and he-said-she-said.
One of the female trainers became ill and was escorted home by a male co-worker. As night turned into day, they both fell asleep. They woke up several hours later and went about their lives as usual — briefly.
Then my friend, the owner, received an alarming call — the female trainer was threatening to press charges. “He fell asleep in my bed. He was groping me while touching himself!” she exclaimed.
The male co-worker denied her claims. But there were no witnesses.
“This is a disaster! What do I do?” pleaded the owner. “I need to protect my business! We’ve already suspended him indefinitely. What else should I be doing?”
Before offering advice, I peppered him with questions:
- How many other people know?
- What have you already said and done?
- Do either of them have a history of inappropriate behavior with co-workers?
- How long have you known each of them? How’s his reputation? How’s hers?
- How detailed are each of their stories? Whose is more believable? Why?
- Has she filed a police report? Is a formal investigation being conducted? How soon will it be done?
- Are your clients aware of this, and are any threatening to leave?
- How’s this affecting your employees? Are they taking sides?
- What are you hoping to achieve?
Let me have your attorney’s info, and we’ll coordinate a strategy, I recommended.
“Lawyer?!?! No!” the owner exclaimed. “We want to attract as little attention to it as possible. This looks terrible! Do you think we can have him back — he’s a good trainer and popular with clients?”
“All right. Breathe,” I consoled my friend. “Don’t do anything else until you’ve called your lawyer. It sounds like you’ve taken the right steps thus far, but we need to coordinate a strategy with counsel before going forward.”
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You can reach Roger Gillott and Eden Gillott directly at 310-396-8696.
Gillott Communications is a Los Angeles-based public relations firm that specializes in high-stakes Crisis & Reputation Management with more than 50 years of expertise in strategic communications, corporate public relations, and working with the media.
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