00:00Hey. Have you seen my bracelet?
00:04No.
00:04It was on my desk this morning. Right here. And now it isn't.
00:09What exactly are you saying?
00:10I'm saying my bracelet is missing, and I'd like to know where it is.
00:14I haven't touched your bracelet, your desk, or anything that belongs to you.
00:18Well, it didn't just disappear.
00:20Then look for it.
00:21I have looked for it, and I looked everywhere on my desk.
00:24Then maybe it fell. Maybe it slipped behind something. Maybe you left it at home and don't remember.
00:30I don't know, Greta. I just know I don't have it.
00:33I'd like to check your bag.
00:35You want to search my bag?
00:37Mm-hmm.
00:39I just want to find my bracelet.
00:41On the basis of what? That it's missing and I'm nearby?
00:45I'm not accusing anyone of anything. I just-
00:48You asked to search my bag. That is an accusation. Say what you mean or don't say anything.
00:53Yeah, sorry. You're not searching anyone's bag.
00:56This doesn't involve you.
00:58Okay, you're accusing a colleague of theft in front of the whole floor.
01:01It involves everyone in this room. Look more carefully before you start pointing fingers.
01:05I haven't accused anyone of anything. I asked a question!
01:08You asked to search her bag. You've been looking at her wrists for the last two minutes.
01:13I mean, everyone here knows what you're saying.
01:15Well, if nobody is going to help me, then I'll call the police and let them sort it out.
01:22Greta, think about what you're doing.
01:24I know exactly what I'm doing.
01:26Hi. I'd like to report theft.
01:29Mm-hmm. It's a diamond bracelet.
01:34May I sit?
01:35Sure.
01:39I don't know why I'm surprised. That's the thing about it. Every time. It's not even the accusation that gets
01:45me. It's that I wasn't ready for it. After all this time, I still walk into rooms expecting to be
01:50treated like a person just doing her job.
01:52You are a person doing her job.
01:54I know that. You know that. Apparently she needed reminding.
01:58You know, you have every right to be as angry as you are.
02:01I'm not angry right now.
02:02No?
02:03I'm tired. I'm tired of calculating how to respond, what expression to wear, whether reacting makes it worse or better
02:10or just different.
02:11I'm tired of having to be composed about something that I should never have to be composed about in the
02:15first place.
02:16Do you know what the worst part is? I'll go back in there and I'll be professional. Because if I'm
02:21not, that becomes the story.
02:23She was upset. She was difficult. She was overreacting. And whatever she did becomes a footnote on how I responded
02:30to it.
02:31It's not fair.
02:32No, it's not. But that's how it works. And I've known how it works for a long time.
02:36For what it's worth, and I know this probably doesn't fix anything, I'm not gonna just sit here and let
02:42it sit, you know? Whatever happens out there, I'm gonna say something on record.
02:45You don't have to do that.
02:47I know I don't. That's why I'm saying it.
02:50She actually called them?
02:52Yeah.
02:53Over a bracelet she hasn't even looked for properly.
02:56It was never about the bracelet.
02:58I know.
02:59Look, you don't have to go back out there, alright? If you're not ready.
03:04I know.
03:05No, I mean it. We can stay in here for another few minutes. I'll go out first if you want.
03:11And do what?
03:11Occupy the space. Make sure nobody's doing anything else stupid before you walk back in.
03:16That's kind, but I don't need you to clear the path for me.
03:20I know you don't need me to. I'm offering.
03:22And how long have we worked together?
03:25Three years, give or take.
03:26And this is the first time something like this has happened.
03:29In front of me. That I know of.
03:32Right.
03:34She called them, Walter.
03:36She actually picked up her phone and called the police on me because of her bracelet that wasn't where she
03:41thought she left it.
03:43That's how quickly it happened.
03:44I know.
03:45And the worst part is, she probably doesn't even think she did anything wrong. She probably thinks she was just
03:50being thorough.
03:51Well, then she's going to find out otherwise.
03:53I'm not going to let her have my whole morning on top of everything else.
04:07Okay, and who made the complaint?
04:11My bracelet is missing from my desk. I believe she took it and I want it handled.
04:18Can you account for your whereabouts this morning?
04:20I've been at my desk since I arrived. I haven't moved from this floor and I didn't take anything.
04:25How long have you worked here?
04:27Four years.
04:28And the complaint?
04:29Three years.
04:31I'm going to need you to look in your bag.
04:33On the word of a co-worker with no evidence? You're going to search my belongings based on that.
04:39It's routine. Makes it easy for everyone.
04:42It's not routine. It's a search and you need more than one person's feelings to justify it.
04:47Ma'am, I'm asking you to cooperate. If you don't-
04:51I am cooperating. I answered your questions. I told you the truth.
04:54What I'm not doing is letting you go through my property because someone decided I was a good suspect before
04:59they looked through their things for their belongings.
05:02Alright. Hands behind your back.
05:05Stop.
05:05Sir, this doesn't concern you.
05:07Nobody has established that anything was stolen. From anywhere. By anyone.
05:14Before you put your hands on her or her belongings, do one thing that no one has done. Look at
05:20Greta's desk properly.
05:21I've heard the complaint. I'm handling it.
05:24You haven't looked at a single thing. You walked in and went straight to her. That's not handling a complaint.
05:31That's choosing a suspect.
05:33I'm going to need you to step back, sir.
05:34Well, I'm not moving.
05:35Sir! No, my name is Walter Briggs. I work in this office. I witnessed everything that happened before you arrived
05:42and everything that has happened since.
05:44I'm not stepping back. And I'm not being quiet. Check the desk.
05:52Show me the desk.
05:53Yeah. Under the documents. The corner stack.
06:06You accused a colleague of theft in front of this entire office. No evidence. No basis. And you called law
06:14enforcement to search and handcuff her.
06:16The bracelet was under your own papers the whole time. The HR hears about this today. The accusation. The escalation.
06:24The pattern it represents.
06:26All of it's going in that report. You should expect consequences.
06:30I didn't mean for this.
06:32You called the police on a coworker. You accused without any reason to. I'm not interested in what you meant.
06:39And you arrived with your conclusions already made. You bypassed every step of due process.
06:45You reached for restraints on a black woman before a single fact had been established.
06:50That gets you reported. To your department. To your supervising officer. And in writing.
06:57Look, I followed standard procedure for a theft complaint.
07:00Your procedure was deciding the outcome before you walked through the door.
07:03You didn't ask Greta a single question. You didn't examine the scene. You looked at Willa and you decided.
07:09That is exactly what the report will say. I don't think you understand how these situations.
07:14Oh, no, no, no. I understand exactly how these situations work. That's why I'm standing here.
07:25I'll be speaking to HR before the end of the day.
07:29Willa, I...
07:30We're done here.
07:43No problem. Shouldn't have gotten that far in the first place.
07:47No, it shouldn't have. But I appreciate you.
07:53No, it shouldn't have. But I appreciate you.
07:58I believe this is yours. Beautiful.
08:03It's only because it's not to hurt.
08:06Yes, it is. Right?
08:07It's not to hurt.
08:08Why do I have it?
08:14Let's cut.
08:17Mm.
08:17Mm.
08:21Let's cut.
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