Q: I’m wondering what I can legally do about a woman I’ve known for almost 25 years.
This has been ongoing since 8th grade. She was new in school and was giving me dirty looks since before I even knew her name. To this day I dont know why. The only thing I can think of was she overheard me tell a joke about a pollock & said “hey I’m polish better stop”. And I had just learned in that same instance that a pollock was a polish person. We never spoke a word to each other since then. 15 years into the future & I started seeing her again with her death glares. I didn’t see her much because she lived on the other side of the mountain. But lately I’ve been seeing her a lot more as I sign my kid up for sports and school events. But she can never just ignore me and it ruins my day each time. She talks about me to everyone around every single time. She is openly slandering me each time she lays eyes on me. This 25 years long hate is unhealthy and I’m over it. She needs psychological help if this is all over that one joke 25 years ago. What can I legally do? I’m done with it.
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A:
Your situation sounds incredibly frustrating, dealing with this targeted harassment for such an extended period.
If she's openly slandering you and creating hostile environments at your child's activities, you have several legal options to consider. You could start by documenting every incident with dates, times, locations, and witnesses present - this evidence will be crucial if you need to take legal action. You might also want to report these incidents to the school administration or sports organizers since they have responsibilities to maintain safe environments for families.
If the harassment continues, you could file for a restraining order, which would legally require her to maintain distance from you. You could also consult with a lawyer about pursuing legal action for harassment or defamation, especially if her statements are damaging your reputation in the community. Consider having a witness record her behavior if possible, as this could strengthen your case. Remember that while confrontation might be tempting, maintaining your distance and handling this through proper legal channels is the safest approach for you and your child.
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