This page is intended to provide information to my co-workers about the events around Boeing security's refusal to allow me access to building 4. I post it here solely to prevent rumors or misinformation from being spread regarding this incident.
July 16, 2000
This is the entire text of the report that I sent to my immediate supervisor after the Boeing security supervisor refused to reissue my badge to me. I have edited it only to remove the names from the document, even including the punctuation error in the second full paragraph after the heading, and the spelling error in the last paragraph. I may or may not have the title for the visitor office manager correct. I apologize for any confusion this might cause.
On July 13, 2000 shortly before 9:00 AM the following incident occurred.
As instructed, I had called (the visitor office manager) at Boeing security to arrange for the return of my badge. I asked (a co-worker) to accompany me when I went to get it. When we arrived at the office, (the visitor office manager) explained to me that they had reissued my badge because I had removed my social security number from it. I said, "That's OK, I can scratch it off again."
She said that it had to be on the badge or they would reissue it and charge me for the new badge. I explained that it was my understanding that social security numbers were not approved for use as a general ID number. She reiterated that it had to be on the badge I shrugged, and she went to make phone call. When she came back to the window, she said that she had asked her supervisor to come over and explain it to me. As she said this, I noticed (the Boeing security supervisor) coming toward us.
(The Boeing security supervisor) stepped past me into the office, and ordered me inside. I said, "no," since I did not want to be alone in the office with them, without a witness. (The Boeing security supervisor) then said that he will not be issuing the badge to me, since I had failed to cooperate. He said, "'No' is not cooperation."
I explained to him that I didn't want to be alone in the office with him because of my concerns over the past history of false accusations that they have made against me.
He indicated (my co-worker) and said, "What's he here for?"
I replied that he's here as a witness.
He said, "I didn't say he couldn't come in too, did I?" (He had not explicitly excluded him when he ordered me inside, but it was clear that he was speaking only to me at the time.)
He told (the visitor office manager) to put the badge away, that he would not issue it to me and that entry to the building was being denied to me.
He said he had witnessed what I had called harassment, and that it was not true, or words similar to this. I said that various guards have been careful to do things when there were no witnesses, that I've been tripped in the hallway, verbally abused, and subjected to obscene gestures.
He stopped me and said he was not going to discuss the matter in the hallway. I replied that I had no problem with using the hallway, I had done nothing wrong, and I don't mind who hears about the incident. He then said that I would have to take the matter up to my supervisor, and if I didn't leave the building on my own he would have me removed. At that point I left. (My co-worker) was present during the entire incident.
The agreement that I signed on June 26 says that I am "...expected to respond in a professional and courteous manner to all security and mission related requests." I deny that I failed to cooperate with any "security or mission related" request, or that I was unprofessional or discourteous. I simply declined to put myself in a dangerous situation by entering an office with him without a witness. It hed been previously established, per instructions from (my immediate supervisor), that I did not have to submit to a search of my bags by the guards until I had called a witness, and I felt that this situation was similar. Based on previous events, I think this was reasonable. I don't understand why (the Boeing security supervisor) could not explain the requirement for my social security number to be on my badge (the reason (the visitor office manager) had called him) while I was standing outside the office at the window, which was clearly placed there to conduct business at that location. (The Boeing security supervisor)'s order that I come in the office was unreasonable and unnecessary, and not related to "security" in any way.
My co-worker later told me that he thought the Boeing security supervisor had acted "totally unprofessionally," and that it appeared that they had setup the incident from the beginning. He wrote up his account of the incident and emailed it to my division chief.
Another co-worker, who I hadn't realized was nearby also verbally reported to my division chief, and later told me that although he wasn't close enough to hear everything that was said, it did seem to him that the Boeing security supervisor had been unnecessarily quick to take offense.
The question about the social security number on my badge is a non-issue here, as far as I'm concerned. The visitor office manager may not have noticed it when she went to the phone, but I had shrugged my capitulation on that issue, and was about to say so verbally when she turned away from me. At the time, I'd thought that the phone had rung and I'd missed hearing it. I didn't know that she had made the call until she came back to the window. The Boeing security supervisor's complaint with me at the time had nothing to do with social security numbers, but only over the fact that he took offense when I said "no" to him.
Here is the statement that my coworker sent to my division Chief, edited to remove the names.
> To: MLL
>
> Subj: Escorting Steve Smith to Bldg 4 Security
>
> From: (My co-worker) , MLEE, 5121
>
> Attn: (my division chief),
>
> 1. Mr. Steve Smith, MLLE, asked me to accompany him to the
> "Visitor Control" area of Bldg 4 so he could pick up his
> security badge. Mr. Smith explained that he didn't want to
> go into Bldg 4 alone. I agreed to go with him as I was
> going to the 4th Mez of Bldg myself. This was about 0900
> hours. Mr. Smith called to that office then to seek an
> appointment. He stated that we could go over in about 10
> minutes as the person he called was busy with a customer.
>
> 2. We entered Bldg 4 with no problem. Mr. Smith was
> directed to the "Visitor Control" office to see (the visitor office manager).
> I followed Mr. Smith to the closed half door
> entrance to that office. (The visitor office manager) and Mr. Smith talked
> about getting his security badge back. (She) politely
> informed Mr. Smith that they couldn't give him his old badge
> back but would be issuing a brand new badge. I observed the
> brand new badge in (her) hand. Mr. Smith said, "what
> about the Social Security number?". The two of them talked
> about that (which I couldn't hear very well) and (the visitor office manager)
> said she would call someone else to explain it better.
>
> 3. We waited for that person, (who turned out to be (the Boeing security >manager)), which only took about 30 -45 seconds. (He)
> stated "I don't want to talk about this out here in the
> hallway, let's go in the office and talk." He then opened
> the door, and walked into the "Visitor Control" office. (He)
> evidently expected Mr. Smith to follow. When Mr. Smith
> didn't immediately follow (him) into the "Visitor
> Control" office, (the Boeing security manager) turned back towards the door an
> shut it aggressively. (He) said "At this time I'm not
> ready to issue you a badge because you won't cooperate with
> us". Mr. Smith asked (The Boeing security manager) to explain "how he wasn't
> cooperating?"
>
> 4. (The Boeing security manager) became belligerent with Mr. Smith at this >time. Mr. Smith was stating that "the security people have been
> harassing him for quite some time". (He) and Mr. Smith
> argued, with (the Boeing security manager) being more aggressive than Mr. >Smith. (The Boeing security manager) then told Mr. Smith to leave the Bldg >immediately and quickly summoned another security person to encourage Mr.
> Smith to leave. I then asked Mr. Smith to calm down and
> leave, which he did.
>
> Summary: As I observed the incident, it was my opinion that
> (the Boeing security manager) could have been more tactful, and not have been >so quick to become argumentative with Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith
> only asked a question and (he) took exception to the
> question. I did not see a problem with Mr. Smith's and (the visitor office >manager)'s conversation. They only talked in questions and
> answers with no conflict.
>
> This statement is made to the best of my knowledge at the time.
>
On 18 July my division chief met with the depury director of Boeing. I don't know what was discussed at this meeting, but the result was that I got my badge back later that day. My division cheif went with me to the visitor control office this time, and they gave it to him with no problem.