We're fully aware in 2024 that there are people in the world with disabilities who need medication, treatments, and other resources to have an equitable life to the people around them.
But there are still some people who insist that accessibility is unnecessary and disabilities are overexaggerated, even though they have a disabled person existing right in front of them, side-eyed the "
Am I the A**hole?" (AITAH) subReddit.
Redditor No_Copy_237 had a serious heart condition with a variety of triggers that would lead to passing out, even including certain scents, which incentivized them to have a service dog at home and in the workplace to alert them before experiencing a trigger.
But when one of their coworkers insisted they were exaggerating their symptoms and that their service dog was not "real," the Original Poster (OP) felt the need to report the discriminatory comments to Human Resources (HR), which led to other consequences for their coworker.
They asked the sub:"AITAH for getting my coworker fired after she kept trying to 'prove' my service dog is fake?"
The OP had a service dog who worked with them and accompanied them to work."I have a medical alert service dog named Max who helps with a serious heart condition. He's literally saved my life multiple times by alerting me before I pass out." "I started a new office job three months ago, with Max accompanying me."One of the OP's coworkers started contesting Max's presence in the workplace."Everything was fine until Karen started her crusade against Max." "It started small. She'd loudly announce that 'pets aren't allowed in the office' every time she saw us." "I explained repeatedly that Max is a service dog, not a pet, and showed her his documentation." "She then started telling everyone I was 'obviously faking' because I 'look too young to be disabled.'" "Things escalated fast. She'd try to 'test' Max by dropping food near him (he's trained to ignore it)." "She reported me to HR weekly." "But the worst part? She started purposely wearing strong perfume and spraying air fresheners around my desk, which triggered my condition. Max alerted three times in one day because of this." "The final straw? I found out she was taking photos of me and Max and posting them in a Facebook group about 'fake service dogs,' asking for ways to 'expose' me. She included my full name and workplace."The OP decided enough was enough."I took screenshots and went to HR. They fired her on the spot for harassment and creating a hostile work environment." "Now my inbox is flooded with messages from her friends and family saying I'm the a**hole for 'getting a mother of three fired over a dog' and that I 'should have just worked from home if I'm so sick.'" "Here's the thing: I actually feel horrible that she lost her job. Her kids aren't at fault here. But she literally put my life at risk with the perfume stunts, and doxxing me online was scary.""AITAH?"
Fellow Redditors weighed in:- NTA: Not the A**hole
- YTA: You're the A**hole
- ESH: Everybody Sucks Here
- NAH: No A**holes Here
Some were alarmed by how the coworker behaved in the office."NTA." "Honestly, I’d be reporting her to the police for attempted murder for deliberately triggering you. Medical Alert dogs aren’t given out for no reason." "And they are very expensive to train. It's not like you can just put them through obedience training. And her case might be even more expensive since the dog has to be trained to a certain smell the owner gives off (hormone or pheromone I would imagine) right before she passes out." "This isn't just your run-of-the-mill dog training. Who in their right mind would think that could be faked!" - Ghost3022
"Who gives a s**t that she’s a mother of three?? So being a parent means you can harass and abuse people in the workplace? If she has kids to provide for she should get her job done and not commit fireable offences." "Signed, a working mother of a toddler and currently pregnant." - hoginlly
"Just FYI: if she deliberately sprayed the perfume and air freshener knowing it would trigger a medical episode for you, that’s a criminal offense of assault." - Legitimate-Sir-6238
"NTA." "That mother of three should have considered her kids and let the matter go. If the dog wasn't impeding her ability to work, then why was it an issue?" "If she had just moved on with her life instead of hyper-focusing on ruining yours, then she wouldn't have had to deal with the repercussions of it smacking her in the face." - Ser_Sunday
"NTA. She put you and your dog in danger by sharing your name and workplace with angry strangers online. She would not have gotten fired if she was behaving like a human instead of a monster." - CrabbiesAsp
"NTA, you did what you had to for your safety. I went through something similar with a coworker doubting my disability accommodations. It’s tough, but protecting yourself is a priority. Her actions led to her firing, not yours. Stay strong and focus on your health." - LunarLoveShine
"NTA." "Why are you feeling bad? In her obsessive crusade against your service dog, she doxxed you and tried to poison you. You say she triggered your heart condition with her antics. What would have happened if you landed in the hospital?" "Her friends and family are now harassing you when they should be grateful you haven’t pressed charges or filed a lawsuit. At this point, you should contact the police. She knew she had three kids. Why should you give more thought to her children than she did?" - Apprehensive_War9612
Others pointed out that the OP wasn't the one who fired their coworker."It's not your fault she was fired. Human Resources fired her for things she did." "This is important OP and worth remembering or stating to the people who are coming at you." "You didn't do anything except tell HR what she was doing. They made the decision that what she did was worth firing her on the spot. Her behaviour had these consequences, not yours." "Probably also worth noting that good employees don't usually get insta-fired. They get put on plans, or verbal/written warnings to try and resolve the issue." "It is highly likely she has pulled similar sh*t before and this was the excuse they needed to get rid. Don't feel bad. She certainly won't. I'm glad OP got very swift justice!" - Normal_Elk_652
"I’m a supervisor. I’ve always said, 'I’ve never fired someone; they’ve always fired themselves.' I can’t show up drunk, fall asleep at work, be super lazy, and never get anything done, etc. Her coworker definitely fired herself. No sympathy." - Franz55
"NTA." "While it's very kind of you that you could feel some sympathy over her getting fired while supporting three children, you should feel no guilt over it. Her getting fired was entirely her own doing. You didn't ask for her to be fired." "Firing her was not your decision. It was your company's decision, and it wasn't even for your sake. They fired her because she was putting the company in serious legal jeopardy through her harassment of you." - Pandoratastic
"I don’t know why people have lost the concept of personal responsibility and accountability. She is responsible for her actions. She has to take accountability for the success or failure of her actions." "She basically tormented both you and your dog. NTA. And she should have really thought about her children and how her actions would affect her family." - jzavcer
"Anyone that messaged you on her behalf, let them know that you forwarded this information on the police as part of the ongoing investigation for the doxxing. And actually do it because a paper trail is the only thing that offers you any type of protection. NTA." "Also, it’s not your fault she was fired. She was fired because she pushed every limit she was given and then went over the line." - Ok_Passage_6242
"If OP is getting flooded with messages from her associates, I think that should be reported too." "This woman has bullied and harassed OP inside of work, including actions that will knowingly trigger OP’s medical condition. Even after being dismissed, she’s continuing to bully and harass OP outside of work too via her associates." "It sounds like the vendetta of this woman has yet to conclude and should be reported to the police, primarily as a proactive way to protect themselves rather than seeking retrospective justice." - PinLongjumping9022
"There are so many levels of harassment here... she incited a group online toward op, she sent harrassing messages, she assaulted op, and she created a hostile workplace." "Op needs to go file a police report because this will only escalate the worse that lady's life gets. That crazy lady's whole family and life will be hellbent on destruction until they get hit on the nose hard enough to learn the lesson." "As long as the woman refuses to accept that she got herself fired and the OP wasn't the direct cause, she will not leave the OP alone." "Op NEEDS to file a police report and get a restraining order immediately." - modthefame
The subReddit was shocked by the coworker's fixation on the OP and her service dog.
They were glad that the workplace sided with the OP and her needs rather than her coworker falsely assuming that her condition was faked.
