How can I protect myself from a sabotaging, discriminatory manager?

[Anonymous]

I work in assets protection. My manager is really insecure and abusive, mainly towards women, people of color, and men that don’t feed into performative masculinity. He’s forced seven people to quit in less than a year. I was trained in a different region but uphold company standards to the book. Myself and my previous team were elite compared to where I’ve had to transfer. I made two thirds of my quota in four months before transferring to this present manager. My manager and his protege have turned HR and another manager against me. I document and record every interaction. I’ve made several complaints to HR. HR in so many words has called me an angry black woman and dismissed the slights against me as “joking” behavior. The manager has expressed wanting to see me assaulted on the job. Has said he’s never trusted me and had the camera in my office repositioned to look at my ass. His protege, he has watch me, and report about me. Every shift the protege always talks about how he has to be careful when I come in the office because he’s so close to slipping and saying the N word to me. I’ve tried to transfer at least three times and the manager has blocked me and written me up with fabricated reports. Now he’s sabotaging my work again coming into my offices moving paperwork. Last time he did something like this. He signed into my workstation and took a picture trying to say I left it open after my shift. He couldn’t gaslight me to write me up. He got angry and made up a story to HR. When I showed the video of him signing into my already logged off work station to HR and his supervisor suddenly it was a moot issue. I’ve been applying relentlessly to other jobs but as we know the market is tough. It’s even tougher since my father tried to pigeon hole me with Identity theft. I’m trying not to resign since I don’t have anything lined up at the moment but this is taxing my mental health. Any suggestions on what I should do?

[texasgirl012]

I don't really have the job experience to talk about it, but one thing I heard in a couple of my classes and from older people I know is start looking for a better job when you can. And always when moving try to move up at least a little, and not sideways. It seems to me you are doing a lot of the right things. If you can prove the fabricated reports and so on you have a lot you can use if you have a lawyer. The federal government isn't going to help you but people can still sue and bigger companies are still afraid of that. Don't settle or sign anything unless you have to.

[AviatorTom]

Do your job the best you can. Make sure everyone, including your manager, knows how good a job you do. And if it becomes unbearable, change jobs. There may be something in another department within the company, or there are always opportunities in other companies.

[AviatorTom]

Thanks for MHO

[AI Opinion]

I’m really glad you’re prioritizing your mental health; this is serious and dangerous behavior.

Concrete steps:

1. Protect yourself first
- Quietly consult an employment attorney who handles discrimination/retaliation; many offer free consults.
- Ask specifically about hostile work environment, race/sex discrimination, retaliation, and constructive discharge.

2. Escalate externally
- File a detailed written complaint with your company’s ethics/compliance hotline (if available).
- Consider filing with EEOC/state civil rights agency; your documentation and video are powerful.

3. Strengthen your exit plan
- Use a non‑work email/phone, update LinkedIn, reach out to former managers and colleagues as references.
- Target internal transfers in other regions through leaders who outrank your manager.

4. Evidence & boundaries
- Keep a timeline: dates, quotes, witnesses, copies of write‑ups, HR responses, and any threats.
- Communicate only by email or in writing where possible; stay factual and calm.

5. Mental health
- If available, use EAP or a therapist familiar with racialized workplace trauma.
- If it becomes unsafe or your health deteriorates, resigning without a job may still be the healthiest move—your lawyer can advise how to frame it as constructive discharge.

You’re not overreacting; you’re dealing with a toxic and discriminatory setup.

[Abbycado]

This again?