CHAPTER 41: Buck Wellstone offers a different perspective on how Professor T can confound the extortion plot, reconcile with Ms Weiser, and cancel the court’s verdict over damages.

Buck Wellstone, troubled by the unjust outcome of Abigail Weiser’s lawsuit against Professor T, engineered a resolution not by the letter of the law, but through quick tactical thinking when reality hit Abigail in the purse. Namely, Professor T’s refusal to pay the court-ordered damages. Her plan was to cover attorney fees with that windfall. Instead, Professor T vowed to pay not a single penny. And now, she’s on the hook for Scheizer & Bok’s agreed upon fees. Without Professor T’s payment, she has no way of covering it. She realizes she’s in the same boat as her intended victim…she’s facing the prospect of financial ruin.

First, Buck and his dad have a conversation about post-y2k workplace dynamics the day after Professor T’s fateful court appearance…Buck’s embarrassing turn on the witness stand. So Buck placed a call to his dad in Texas. He knew his dad was interested in how the whole affair had gone down.

After three rings, Gilbert Wellstone picked up the phone and greeted his son warmly.

“Hey, Pops, it’s me,” said Buck.

“Well, if it ain’t the traveling prodigal cowboy,” said Mr Wellstone. “I was just settlin’ down on the porch swing with a brewski wonderin’ how your boss’ court date and your turn in the witness stand went.”

Buck was blushing, though his dad couldn’t see it as neither of them were partial to so called “face-time” apps on their phones. “Kind of embarrassing for me, and super-bad for Professor T.”

“Sorry to hear things didn’t go well for your boss, but why were you embarrassed?” Mr Wellstone was curious.

Buck’s face was heating up. “The prosecuting attorney seemed real interested in setting our testimony up as a way to reinforce the perception that Professor T was a sexist gaslighter holding Abigail Weiser’s career down, preventing her from advancing beyond the role of his assistant. Lots of yes or no questions. If i tried to elaborate in any way, he shut me down most ricky tick. I’m sure the judge could see how this belligerent line of questioning was frustrating and embarrassing to me. But i believe that was part of Scheizer’s strategy.”

“Sorry to hear it,” said Mr Wellstone.

“Thanks Pops,” said Buck. “But, this ain’t about me. The whole mess got me thinkin’…questioning workplace relationships in this era of ‘Title IV,’ and ‘Me Too.’  You know, how do we adjust to a ‘post-patriarchal’ workplace? I ask, because this dustup between Professor T and his office manager, Ms Weizer, seems to be a good example of the dysfunctional transition period we seem to be in the muddle of.”

“Take a breath, son,” Said Mr Wellstone. “Let me ask you this. You remember when Missy and i used to organize the Regional Rodeo parade every year?”

“Sure,” said Buck. “Missy Johnson always ended up doing most of the organizing.”

“She sure did,” said Mr Wellstone. “And you know why?”

“Good question,” said Buck.

“Because she was a whole lot better at it than me,” said Mr Wellstone. “Now, back then, folks sort of expected the designated Parade Master to stand up at the podium and command the proceedings. But Missy had the spreadsheets in her head before they even invented spreadsheets. I didn’t dismiss her input because she was a woman, and i didn’t step up to try and protect her from any heavy lifting. I just looked at the person standing next to me and said, ‘What do you need to do your best work, and how can we pull this wagon, together?’”

“But,” Buck was recalling a lunch conversation with Abigail after he signed on as a grad teaching assistant. “Abigale was at the end of her rope with Professor T by the time i joined the team. She was literally red-faced with seething frustration and anger over the good professor. I imagine years of frustrating workplace imbalances to be the cause.”

“Go on,” Mr Wellstone was intrigued.

“Well, i suspected there was more to the story,” said Buck. “And i found out later that Abigail had a major crush on the Professor in the early days of her time working with him. I asked her why she didn’t simply transfer out to another department. She said she was dutifully attached to the Media Studies students, and besides, there weren’t any openings in similar departments. She was sorta stuck.”

Mr Wellstone put his phone on speaker. “Didn’t any of this come out in the trial?”

“No,” said Buck. “And when i tried to work it in, the prosecuting attorney forced me to restrict responses to ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

“Well, it’s settled, now,” said Mr Wellstone. “Perhaps you should have shared this with the professor’s attorney before the hearing. It might have helped his case.”

“I got the feeling Professor T and his attorney went into that hearing overly-confident,” said Buck. “They didn’t even let me know what i should expect from the encounter.” He paused for a deep breath. “Jack Dean and Billie Schmidt were just as unprepared as i, and all of us were shocked at the outcome.”

“Hmmm,” Mr Wellstone wasn’t quite sure what Buck was looking for, but pressed on. “Look, Son, you just got to reduce it down like grain into malt syrup, it’s all about basic eye-to-eye respect. Don’t talk over your female coworkers. Don’t take credit for their elbow grease. Treat them like teammates, peers, not fragile antiques or competitors you gotta beat. And if someone on the team talks smack, well, you gotta use your voice to level the floor. And by all means, make sure to clearly, and compassionately make your boundaries known. If your policy is never mixing work with romance, don’t do things to encourage workplace crushes.”

Buck made a barely audible nodding acknowledgement.

“You’ll be fine, i have no doubt,” said Mr Wellstone. “The fact that you’re callin’ your old man to discuss it tells me all i need to know about your character. You’re gonna do just fine. Just remember: you and your co-workers, regardless of gender, race, religion, or attitude about bull-ridin’ are powering the same work-place engine. Just step in time with them… you’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” said Buck. “Thanks, Pops. I think i just needed to hear from you. It’s a lot of pressure, trying to navigate the technology-supercharged workplace. I’m sure Professor T will figure it out, eventually.”

They made their fare-thee-wells and disconnected the call. With that, Buck went back to contemplating ways to help Professor T navigate his painful conundrum.

***

So, Abigail is tricked by her unscrupulous lawyers. In time, they turn the case over to a collection agency to recover trial costs she can’t pay. When she breaks down in tears over lunch, Buck instantly conceives the strategic value of her situation.

Buck recalled a similar meeting with Abigail once he was accepted as Grad Assistant in the department. He reflected on the depth and intensity of Abigail’s seething vindictive feelings toward Professor T, and so Buck hatched a plan and ran it by his dad over the phone.

Knowing that the clock was ticking, Scheizer and Bok’s firm was nearly ready to turn the case over to collection, and mere months before filing a civil suit, all the while charging 20% interest on the outstanding balance. Buck found a way to meet with Professor T’s attorney, and share his idea. They knew that Professor T would never bow to the court’s decision vis-à-vis damages to Abigale for egregious conduct in which he never actually participated. As well, they knew Professor T’s deep sense of benevolence would not allow him to watch this long-time comrade…even if she did agree to proceed down a wrong-headed, greedy culture-war lawsuit against him…suffer financial ruin at the hands of pettyfogging swindlers and their transparent extortion racket.

Buck put his plan into motion…Professor T’s attorney used Abigail’s distress to persuade Professor T that paying her legal fees would be an act of charity rather than surrender. Overcome by pity…and simultaneously pressured by Billie and Jack to kick the focus-group tour back into gear…Mork Thompson finally relents, pays Abigail’s exorbitant fees with interest, and secures the release of both himself and his former administrative assistant from financial ruin.

NEXT WEEK:
Back on the road go the Forks in the Cool Bus. First stop, South Florida, Key Largo, and Key West.

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