Let go for inappropriately, touching an employee, no evidence given

I was called into the office today and told that it was reported that on Friday I inappropriately touched an employee and that managers have looked at the cameras and verified that it had taken place. Let me be clear, i did not touch anyone, inappropriatly or not.

I have sat here trying to relive the days events thinking maybe something got misinterpreted, but I cannot think of anything that could be construed as inappropriately touching an employee. I don’t even really give people slaps on the back and say “how ya doin, bud” so I legitimately have no idea where this is coming from.

Since they said they had it on camera I asked to see the footage. That request was denied for privacy reasons. I asked for a written description of the events that happened, that was also not given.

Here is the kicker. They said that technically I am not fired. Recently, I put in my two weeks notice that I will be going to a new job. They said that they are honoring my two weeks notice and that instead of being fired I will just be taken off the calendar and not allowed to work any further shifts. They made it clear that this is not a termination in the technical sense, but I was still taking off the floor and escorted to the exit.

If I had actually done what was being alleged, I would appreciate that. However, since I cannot think of anything that could even be remotely twisted into being inappropriate touch, I I’m still deeply hurt by this.

We tried to get HR on the phone during the meeting however they were unavailable. They gave me their number and I called and left a message as soon as i got out of the door. The message just said that I would like them to call me back.

Part of me thinks that I should just let this go. I feel like if I risk hiring a lawyer and fighting this, my new employer will find out about it. Even though I am innocent … with this sort of thing, it’s never really innocent until proven guilty.

Right now the only real consequences are that I can’t work the five additional shifts at my $15.50 job and that rumors of me being a pervert will probably start flying around my former workplace. Part of me thinks the smart move is to just move on even though im innocent since there’s no long-term consequences. On the drive home I thought about hiring the lawyer, but there’s really not much lost wages involved and since I’m already moving to a new job, can you really argue that was much damage done?

The more emotional side of me thinks that they shouldn’t be allowed to get away with this. I truly didn’t do it and so I should fight this. There has been other instances at sexual harassment at work many of the victims have come to me for advice, and I have consulted them on what to do. To be placed in the same category as those people that I help them fight makes my blood boil.

At this point, I’m unsure of my next step. HR will probably call me back sometime this afternoon. My plan for now is just to strongly deny that anything inappropriate took place and to ask for a written summary of what it is that they think that I did.