So, the rambler and I met a few days ago. I figured that we were going to discuss this. I was expecting to hear a major mea culpa or mea maxima culpa. Something along the lines of "I was out of line," "I shouldn't have talked to you like that" Anything that indicates he accepts responsibility for his behavior and indicates he recognizes how inappropriate it was for him to talk to me that way.
Instead he insists on talking about what things precipitated him writing his mission statement. He wanted to talk about things he disagreed with from over a year ago and where he thought the department should go. Really? You yell at me in front of my boss, my bosses boss, and all of my colleagues and then when you ask to meet with me it's to discuss your views on the department of the future.
He gave (after over an hour of my sitting and listening to him wax philosophical about the future) a nod to 'his overreaction.' He said that as he is the more senior faculty member he should have better controlled the situation.
It was so freak'n weird. First, no human in their right mind would characterize it as an 'overreaction.' Half of the department (including my chair) wanted to have sit down conversations with me about it. A freak out, a hissy fit, an explosion of childhood temper tantrum--any of those are a more accurate description of what happened.
Second, if he convinced me to skip a faculty meeting with him and we got caught and in trouble for skipping the meeting, than it might make sense for him to claim responsibility--as the more senior faculty member he should have known better. Instead, he screamed at me and insulted me. OF COURSE IT'S YOUR RESPONSIBIILTY...you were the one yelling at me. We saw an issue differently and you got personal and verbally attacked me.
I can't believe I didn't even get an apology.
