Yale Student Murder Symptomatic of Growing Workplace Violence

The murder of Yale University Lab Technician Annie Le was sad, particularly because her body was found on what was supposed to be her wedding day. The accused killer in this incident is Raymond Clark, III, a 24-year old co-worker. This tragic incident is not only problematic due to the fact that a young woman lost her life. It is also a sad reminder of the dramatic rise in workplace violence throughout the United States.There has been an 18% increase in workplace violence in 2009, relative to last year. Also, according to Corporate Counseling Associates, an HR consulting firm, there has been a 28% increase in workplace suicides. A poor economy certainly plays a role in the frequency of workplace violence, as tough times lead to tough decisions by firm managers who have to slice jobs in order to keep their companies afloat.

African Americans are impacted even more by the threat of workplace violence, since our unemployment rate tends to be much higher than that of white Americans. Also, other forms of related violence, such as that which occurs in the home, are affected when the economy goes south. In other words, a tough economy leads to problems that go far beyond money.

The case of Annie Le brings some questions to light when one thinks about violence in the workplace. These questions should be asked by employees and employers, since violence is not only a threat to employee safety, it is also a potential door to major lawsuits filed by those affected:

1) Are there background checks being done on employees? If an employee has committed a violent crime in the past, this may unfortunately be a reason not to bring him/her into the workplace. At the very least, precautions should be taken to ensure that the other employees are protected.

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Annie Le Murder

Raymond Clark III is taken into custody by police at the Super 8 Motel Thursday, September 17, 2009, in Cromwell, Connecticut. DNA results released this morning connected him to the murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le. (Mandatory Credit Cloe Poisson/Hartford Courant/MCT)

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Hartford Courant

Anne Les Tragic Murder

In this photo taken Thursday Sept. 17, 2009, memorial flowers are placed on the corner of Amistad Street, where the body of Yale graduate student Annie Le was discovered in the Yale Building in New Haven, Conn. Police say they might never know the motive for the killing of a Yale University graduate student whose body was found hidden behind a wall on what should have been her wedding day. (AP Photo/Douglas Healey)

In this photo taken Thursday Sept. 17, 2009, the Yale building at 10 Amistad Street, where the body of Yale graduate student Annie Le was discovered, is seen in New Haven, Conn. Police say they might never know the motive for the killing of a Yale University graduate student whose body was found hidden behind a wall on what should have been her wedding day. (AP Photo/Douglas Healey)

This undated photo released by New Haven Police Dept., shows Yale graduate student Annie Le who disappeared on Sept. 8, 2009. Raymond Clark III, 24, a Yale lab technician was arrested Thursday Sept. 17, 2009 and charged with murdering the graduate student in the research building where they both worked. (AP Photo/New Haven Police Dept.)

In this Thursday Sept. 17, 2009 photo released by the New Haven, Conn. Mayor's Office, Raymond Clark III is shown. Clark, 24, has been charged with murder of Annie Le, a pharmacology doctoral student at Yale University who vanished Sept. 8. Le's body was found Sunday, Sept. 13, stuffed into a utility compartment behind a wall in the basement of the Yale research building where she and Clark worked. (AP Photo/New Haven Mayor's Office)

New Haven Police Chief James Lewis takes questions from journalists gathered at the New Haven Police Station after announcing the arrest of Raymond Clark III, 24, of Middletown, Thursday, September 17, 2009, in connection with the murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le. (Bettina Hansen/Hartford Courant/MCT)

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New Haven Police Chief James Lewis announces the arrest of Raymond Clark III, 24, of Middletown, Thursday, September 17, 2009, in connection with the murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le. (Bettina Hansen/Hartford Courant/MCT)

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** RETRANSMISSION FOR ALTERNATE CROP ** Raymond Clark III, 24, is arraigned at Superior Court in New Haven, Conn. Thursday Sept. 17, 2009 in connection with the murder of Annie Le, a Yale graduate student whose body was found stuffed in the wall of the research building where they both worked. (AP Photo/Douglas Healey, Pool)

Raymond Clark III 24, is arraigned at Superior Court in New Haven, Conn. Thursday Sept. 17, 2009 in connection with the murder of Annie Le, a Yale graduate student whose body was found stuffed in the wall of the research building where they both worked. At left is Assistant Public Defender Jospeh E. Lopez. (AP Photo/Douglas Healey, Pool)

Judge Jon Blue give instructions before the start of the arraignment of Raymond Clark III, 24, at Superior Court in New Haven, Conn., Thursday Sept. 17, 2009 in connection with the murder of Yale graduate student Annie Le. (AP Photo/Douglas Healey, Pool)

2) Are there proper channels for reporting violence when it occurs? In the student shooting rampage at Virginia Tech University, some students died allegedly because the university did not have a proper warning system.

3) Is there a way to provide counseling to workers so they can handle layoffs or workplace stress in a more productive manner? In addition, what about dispute resolution between employees? If the workplace has become uncomfortable, employees should be able to report the discomfort to management so that problems are solved before they get out of hand.

4) Are there ways to spot situations in which an employee is at risk of being violent in the workplace? Clark, the tech who is accused of killing Ms. Le, was known to be a "control freak" and allegedly felt that the animal cages in the lab were his personal territory. There are many cases in which workplace violence is committed by individuals who've shown a propensity for aggressive behavior.

5) Are employees informed on the company's existing policies on workplace violence? Employees should know what lines are not acceptable to cross in the workplace. Also, according to a 2005 Survey by the US Department of Labor, 70% of all companies do not have a policy in place to prevent workplace violence.

Annie Le's tragic death may be an opportunity to save lives. By grabbing the lessons presented from her case, we can make workplaces across America safer for everyone. Let's hope that Annie did not die in vain.

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