The news about Michigan firing its head football coach caught everyone’s attention. According to public reports, the school investigated an inappropriate relationship with a staff member and removed him. I am not deciding whether he did anything wrong. That is not my job. What I care about is the familiar pattern behind the headline.
I have represented thousands of employees in harassment and retaliation cases. The story almost always starts the same way. A person with power tests a boundary. The person with less power carries the risk. When a boss, coach, partner, owner, or supervisor blurs the line with someone who works under them, the pressure shows up long before anyone calls it misconduct.
Power decides the tone. Not the intentions.
People love to say it was mutual. They say the texts were friendly. They say no one complained. That is not how power works. If the person signing your checks is the one pursuing you, you do not feel free. You feel like you have to manage the situation so you can keep your job.
I see this with administrative assistants, personal assistants, executive assistants, paralegals, junior attorneys, nurses, medical staff, hospitality workers, and anyone whose role depends on keeping their supervisor satisfied. They know that pushing back, even politely, can change everything about their work life.
Why victims hesitate
Most people who call me waited longer than they wanted. They blame themselves. They minimize it. They try to handle it quietly because the person doing it is a partner, an owner, a CEO, a doctor, a professor, or, in this case, a head coach. They think no one will believe them. They think HR will protect the institution. Sometimes they think the conduct was “friendly” until it suddenly was not.
I hear the same story over and over. It did not start with a dramatic act. It started with comments that felt too personal, late night messages, or invitations that were hard to decline. The pressure grows until the employee feels trapped.
Off site events do not excuse anything
A lot of this behavior happens at trips, team dinners, conferences, events, or celebrations. People mistakenly believe that if it happens outside the building, it is not a workplace issue. That is wrong. If the person who controls your job is the one behaving inappropriately, the location does not matter. It is still harassment, and the employer can still be held responsible.
You do not need to lose your job to have a claim
A common misconception is that harassment is only illegal if you were fired. That is not true. The law does not wait for the worst day of your career. The conduct becomes unlawful once it creates an unsafe, intimidating, or hostile environment. If you feel pressured, cornered, confused, or afraid of what happens if you say no, you may already have a claim.
When you should call me
If any of this sounds like your situation, reach out. I see this every day and I know how to handle it.
You should call if:
- A supervisor, owner, partner, coach, or executive is pursuing you.
- You feel pressure to go along with it to protect your job.
- You tried to pull back and suddenly your work environment changed.
- You are facing retaliation after setting boundaries.
- HR brushed you off or tried to downplay the situation.
- The stress is affecting your sleep, health, confidence, or daily life.
These cases are about leverage. The sooner you get guidance, the more control you regain.
My job is to protect you
At Phillips & Associates, we represent employees who were harassed or retaliated against by people in positions of authority. We know how to document what happened, how to communicate with your employer, and how to position your case for the strongest possible outcome. We have handled thousands of cases involving powerful individuals who thought the rules did not apply to them.
If something feels off, listen to that feeling. You are not imagining it.
Contact us for a confidential consultation. You do not pay attorney fees unless we recover money for you.