When I worked at the W. M. Keck Observatory on the 13,796 feet very high altitude summit of Mauna Kea, we would routinely be engulfed in cold clouds of helium and nitrogen gas as we discharged it into the video camera systems daily. The management team never warned us that we were in a hazardous oxygen deprived environment during this activity that was known for its ability to adversely affect physical and mental health, and possibly bring on death by asphyxiation.

When I reflect on my time working for the W. M. Keck Observatory, Columbia University and Dartmouth College, my memories are not of brilliant minds advancing science, but rather of shady people damaging their workers health in order to obtain tainted astronomical data.

I made the mistake of using my earned sick time at the W. M. Keck Observatory for essential surgery. When I returned to work the management team demanded my resignation numerous times, citing my essential surgery as a reason. The W. M. Keck Observatory taught me that using earned sick time in the USA may put your future employment at significant risk.

I am a survivor of workplace harassment.

When I worked at the W. M. Keck Observatory in Hawaii, the management team were always saying that everyone was part of the ohana (family). When I got sick and needed essential surgery, they outcast me from the ohana. I concluded that the company ohana was a sham.

When I was hired from Europe to work atop Mauna Kea, I had no idea how sacred the mountain was to the Hawaiians. Today, I am ashamed that I worked at the Mauna Kea Observatories (MKO).

Based on what I experienced at the toxic W. M. Keck Observatory, this is the Mauna Kea workplace harassing procedure: 1. Hit the worker with multiple nasty surprise resignation meetings. 2. If they do not voluntary resign, make their working conditions intolerable by repeatedly changing their working conditions on a regular basis and extend their working hours. 3. If still present, put them on leave against their will and fire them while they are away from the workplace.

To file a harassment complaint or not to file a harassment complaint, that is the question.

Just as you are about to start construction the 1.3 billion dollar world’s largest telescope, a crazy person from the previous telescope project shows up with hundreds of pages of scientific reasons why the toxic project needs to be shut down by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).