LaPo employee let go for allegedly harassing co-worker

A La Posada Dining Hall manager is no longer employed with UNM after being accused of assaulting a fellow employee.
“Anthony Rosa no longer works with us,” said Chartwells district manager Rudy Simchak. “The case is closed.”
Angelica Cordova, the victim, said she filed assault charges against Rosa.
Rosa declined to comment.

In their initial response, Chartwells’ representatives suspended Rosa for three days and required him to take an online sexual harassment class before returning to work, according to Shawn Weed, a La Posada kitchen manager.

The March 18 incident happened after Cordova and Rosa got into a confrontation in the back of the La Posada kitchen. Cordova said the argument escalated after she asked Rosa to return unneeded container lids he brought at her request.

“I was busy and put them somewhere until I needed them,” she said. “He got mad and wanted me to put them away where he got them from.”
Rosa instructed Cordova, who was working at the cashier’s booth near the entrance to the buffet, to meet Rosa in his office to settle the dispute. Rosa told her to leave the dining hall but she refused.

According to the UNMPD police report, witnesses saw Rosa grab Cordova’s arm as she tried to leave.
“I was just doing my work and he was bullying me,” she said. “I was in fear for my life. I thought he was going to hit me.”
When UNMPD arrived on the scene, they separated the two employees. The police report said that Rosa instigated the argument and used physical force to block
Cordova’s path.

Rosa, who typically managed the night shift, was on duty for the morning shift when the incident happened because a supervisor meeting was taking place in a separate location.

“I am glad he is gone,” Cordova said. “He has no business working with people if he is going to treat them bad.”
Cordova, who said she has been a UNM employee for more than 20 years, brought assault charges against Rosa and filed a grievance with her union, the Communications Workers of America.

The CWA set up a meeting between Cordova and the UNM Human Resources Department at Chartwells to re-evaluate the case.
“He created a hostile environment,” said CWA representative Scott Askey. “There were several witnesses that substantiated the battery. Any other employee would have been terminated.”

Some students and community members protested outside of the dining hall because they felt La Posada managers were not taking the matter seriously.
“(Rosa) was abusive as a supervisor,” said community member Mike Butler.

Butler, who helped organize the protest and circulate the petition, said he is satisfied Rosa no longer works at La Posada because service employees deserve a safe work environment.

Cordova said she pursued action against her manager for the same reason.
“We should never have to go through anything like that,” she said. “There should be no tolerance for harassment, no tolerance for a hostile work environment and that’s what I thought they put us through.”