The Salvation Army corruption, cover up, misconduct, prejudice, Major Robert Green Dallas Texas

                                                           Major Robert Green

It is time to expose Major Robert Green's total disrespect for loyal employees.  What you are about to read demonstrates that The Salvation Army could not care less about employees who are responsible for the success of The Salvation Army’s Carr P Collins Social Services Center, in Dallas, Texas.  

I have known Major Robert Green, and his wife, Charma, for more than three years.  We met shortly after their appointment as Corp Officers for The Carr P Collins facility where I was the Billing and Finance Manager.  There are many issues with respect to Major Robert Green's behaviour.  This piece covers some of the more serious issues; his lack of respect for the victims of domestic violence, prejudice against gays and lesbians and gross misconduct on the job.

Major Robert Green's total lack of respect for the victims of domestic violence:

This happened at a weekly operations meeting, attended by Carr P Collins department and Program managers. Major Green and his wife also attended the meetings.  Prior to the beginning of one such meeting, with the room about half full of expected attendees, Major Green made the following statement about a client in the Domestic Violence Program.  

“Did you see the way that woman was dressed?  If I were her husband I would have hit her too.”  he stated.

The room fell silent.  Several people began shaking their heads in disbelief.  Others, including me, scowled at him trying to think of an appropriate response at that moment..  

“Oh I'm not saying I condone domestic violence, but I do understand why her husband hit her,” he added.

After the meeting our new Operations Director, Ms Blake Fetterman told me she would talk to him and asked me to say nothing to him about his comment.  I reluctantly agreed.  There were several things I wanted to say to him, but I
kept my mouth closed this time.

Major Robert Green's is prejudice against gays and lesbians:

The Salvation Army has an account with Home Depot.  One day, while Major Green was in the finance department, he made a statement to the finance staff.  

“I don't know why The Salvation Army does business with Home Depot.  They hire gays and lesbians,” he said.

The statement is wrong on many levels besides the fact that it was blatantly discriminatory.  For one, I know gay and l*****n employees of The Salvation Army.  They are good, hard working people for whom I have a great deal of respect.  It is obvious, The Salvation Army does not discriminate in its hiring practices.  

Also, The Salvation Army has accounts with other home improvement companies, such as Lowes.  I am not aware of any discriminatory hiring practices within Lowes, or any other company with which The Salvation Army does business.  Why Major Green made such an inflammatory statement is known only to him.

Major Green committed gross misconduct on the job:

In the fall of 2012, at a golf outing (Top Golf) for the program managers of the Carr P Collins facility Major Green took pictures numerous inappropriate pictures of the rear ends of some of our female program managers.  He was observed taking the pictures and was asked to delete them from his camera, which he agreed to do.  However, instead of deleting the pictures, at the next managers meeting he included them in a PowerPoint presentation,
complete with inappropriate captions.  

One of the shots was the rear end of The Director of Operation for Carr P Collins, Ms Blake Fetterman.  The tag line Major Green chose was, "It's all in the wiggle".  Several other women had their rear ends displayed with similar inappropriate tag lines.

Major Green also took a picture of a black male manager as he was getting ready to hit the ball.  Major Green chose the tag line for that picture, "another black dominated sport".

Major Green thought his presentation was funny.  Needless to say the victims in the pictures thought it was embarrassing, and disgraceful on his part.  Everyone in the meeting, except Major Green, was embarrassed, insulted and outraged.  Several managers, including me, complained in writing about the incident.  The Texas Divisional Headquarters of The Salvation Army got involved, sending two human resource employees to interview those of us who complained.  No Salvation Army officers took the time to talk with anyone.

The two human resources employees were armed with a number of questions for me.  Four of the questions were clearly designed to play down the legitimacy of my written complaints.  I realized after the first few questions that nothing good was going to come out of the investigation.

Because I saw a pattern of escalating bad behavior in my dealings with Major Green, I included some other issues in my complaint.  I wanted The Salvation Army leadership to know I had not chosen to write a complaint about Major Green without seeing the pattern.

I was asked why I included other incidents in my complaint.  One of the two Human Resources employees actually asked if I thought mentioning the other issues was appropriate.  I assured the Human Resources employee that I felt his pattern of behavior was relevant.

Then I was asked, “Don’t you think Major Green was just joking?”

“I believe Major Green thought showing those pictures was very funny, which is a testament to how out of touch he is with right and wrong,” was my answer.

“Did you see anyone laugh at the presentation?”  This was the follow up question to their previous one.

“I heard no one else laughing, but I saw several embarrassed ladies and one lady who actually cried.  If anyone besides Major Green had laughed, what he did was still wrong,” I replied.

Next question; “Will you still be able to work at Carr P Collins with Major Green?”

“That is a decision I should not have to make, but to answer your question, Major Green’s actions will not make me quit my job.  I did nothing wrong.”  My interview ended with that answer.

Of course both Human Resources employees gave the disclaimer statements about being impartial, but it was apparent that they both had a job to do and that job was to make the problem go away while protecting The Salvation Army Officer’s a*s.

Ironically, I saw their final question for me the same way everyone else saw it.  We were being invited to leave if we could not work with Major Green.  It was a veiled threat, but I got the message and so did others.  

We were made to feel as though our honest, valid complaints threatened our jobs.  Benefit of the doubt always goes to the officer.  Sadly, there was no doubt this time and it was blatantly obvious that the Human Resources employees were on a mission to manufacture doubt.  They were sent in to clean up the mess.

The two human resources employees from The Texas Divisional Headquarters for The Salvation Army were on a mission to sanitize Major Green’s actions and begin the job of sweeping those actions under a very large rug.  They should have been carrying brooms, instead of pens and paper.  

The Carr P Collins Human Resources Manager, Ms Kacye Harvey, gave the two-person clean up squad from Divisional Headquarters a pass, telling me “they were only doing what they had to do to keep their jobs.”

That was a true statement.  The two Human Resources employees checked there honesty and integrity at the door of Carr P Collins.  They knew the outcome of the “investigation” before they came to interrogate those who complained.  I left my interrogation session wondering if they sleep well at night.  

At first, I thought it was strange that two employees were being sent to investigate complaints by employees against an officer.  In hind sight, I have to admit it was a brilliant move by The Salvation Army.  It gave an initial appearance of being unbiased, until the first question was asked and it became apparent that the two employees were doing what they were told to do… sanitize, intimidate and begin the cover up.

None of us who complained can say our complaints were not taken seriously.  The complaints were taken seriously, but the focus was on how to make our complaints go away.  No thought was given as to a proper course of action against Major Green.  There was never a thought of treating Major Green the same way I would have been treated if
I had taken those pictures.

I stand tall with others who complained.  We all got the same message; “you better back off if you want to keep your job”.   No one backed down; we held our ground because we knew we were right.  

I found it interesting Human Resources employees were being used to deliver a threat.  I always thought of  Human Resources employees as the people you go to for protection from unwarranted job threats?  The two who visited with me were masterful at delivering the threat.  They did it with a smile.

In the real world Human Resources means something, but not in The Salvation Army world. The officer must be protected, at all cost, and the two Human Resources employees who interrogated fellow employees about Major Green’s misdeeds know that fact better than anyone.  They showed no courage or integrity.  They sold out.

The employees did win a moral victory.  No one backed off of their complaints.  The veiled threat did not work.  The two human resources employees went back to Divisional Headquarters with tails between their legs.

The Salvation Army was left with plan B.  Plan A was to make it all go away and protect Major Green, at all cost.  Plan B was a bit different, but the mission to protect the officer was still first and foremost with respect to Plan B.  The Salvation Army made sure the employees of Carr P Collins got the message; an officer will never be held accountable for his/her actions.

Over the next two months Major Green continued to work at Carr P Collins, while The Salvation Army considered plan B.  He held his daily devotionals, his Sunday sermons and continued to interact with those he offended.  In devotionals he and his wife mentioned the evil at Carr P Collins that was working against him.  

A few people expressed shock that their comments were so blatant, and public.  Those people were naive enough to believe that The Salvation Army really cared about them, until this incident.  Their eyes are now open.

I did not attend his devotionals.  I just listened to reports of what was said and was honored to be in the group of “evil doers” Major Green and his wife spoke of.  Those of us who complained did the right thing and that is all I need to know.  I sleep well at night.  I am certain Major Green sleeps well at night too, because he has no moral compass.  He has been a Salvation Army officer for over 30 years.  He knows how the game is played with respect to covering up for officers.

While the Divisional Headquarters conducted its “investigation” the finance department at Carr P Collins continued working with Major Green. My staff and I interacted with him, frequently.  Stubbornness on my part made me grit my teeth and bear the interactions. Sometimes I even forced a smile just to piss him off.

Major Green made his PowerPoint presentation to more than 15 people.  One does not do something that stupid, in front of that many people, and think word of the behavior will not get around…rapidly.  Within days, the entire facility was buzzing about the incident.  Major Green was offended that we “could not take a joke.”

He knew what he did was wrong, but he did not care.   He continued to treat everyone as though he was superior and we were low-life people who sought to persecute him.  Major Green knew The Salvation Army would do what it always does when an officer is out of line. The Salvation Army covers it up.

One day, not long after the Divisional Headquarters interrogations I walked into the mail room while Major Green was there.  He said good afternoon and I nodded.  

While I was checking my mail box he asked, “Why is it that no one here can take a joke?”

“They can take a joke, and they know the difference between a joke and a sick prank,” I said.  Then I walked out of the room before I said many other things I wanted to say.  

Around two months after the slide presentation a decision was finally made to transfer Major Green and his wife to Fort Worth, where he serves as the Corp Officer.  That brilliant decision to transfer him was belatedly made by The Salvation Army’s Divisional Commander for The State of Texas, Lt. Colonel Ken Luyk.  He transferred the officer, but made sure that the complainers knew our troubles were only 30 miles away, in Fort Worth, Texas.

The transfer was announced about a month before it took place, leaving Major Green plenty of time to rub in the fact that he was not really being punished for anything and he took full advantage of that time to beat his chest and claim he was the victor over all of us who complained about his actions.  

No one escaped the wrath of Major Green during his last month at Carr P Collins.  He was being transferred which is something he was used to.  Officers in The Salvation Army are routinely transferred every two to three years.  Some days, Major Green made sure to play up his transfer as a routine thing.  On other occasions, he played the victim, blaming everyone at Carr P Collins who just could not take a joke.  You never really knew what his position would be from day to day.  Some days he claimed victory, other days he was the victim.

The Salvation Army used the end result as a way to teach the complainers a lesson.  I have to admit, the organization did get the last word with respect to Salvation Army officers. The last word to all of us who complained; “employees mean absolutely nothing to The Salvation Army.”

Employees finally won a very small battle, but Major Green won the war.  He is still a Salvation Army officer and he is still making snide remarks to those who will listen about those of us at Carr P Collins who “just can’t take a joke.”  

There is no question in my mind that Lt. Colonel Ken Luyk and Major Ward Matthews, Dallas/Fort Worth Area Commander, see the slide presentation incident the same way Major Green views it; just fun and games with some people who cannot take a joke.  All three of them slapped loyal employees in the face.

Lt. Colonel Ken Luyk and Major Ward Matthews failed the backbone test.  They proved that neither of them has a moral compass.   Lt Colonel Luyk, The Texas Divisional Commander, and Major Ward Matthews, The Dallas/Fort Worth Area Commander were morally bankrupt with respect to this incident.  

Both did as they were taught to do.  They have, no doubt, participated in cover ups before.  Both took their appropriate actions within the unwritten policies and procedures of the brotherhood/sisterhood.  They protected a fellow officer and reminded loyal employees of their places, which is under the thumb of any officer.  

I’m sure The Salvation Army would argue that all of the facts of Major Green’s discipline are not public knowledge and that they care very much for the employees of The Salvation Army.  The issue with that argument is the organization failed to demonstrate that it cares.  In fact, The Salvation Army’s public actions prove there is no concern whatsoever for employees.  Instead of protecting the rights of loyal employees, The Salvation Army sent a very troubled officer to prey on other loyal employees.

Major Ward Matthews is the Area Commander for the Dallas/Fort Worth Area Command of The Salvation Army.  Major Robert Green served under Major Matthews at Carr P Collins and continues to serve under him in his new appointment in Fort Worth.

Major Ward Matthews had a golden opportunity to do the right thing, with respect to Major Robert Green.  As the Area Commander of The Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Major Mathews had it in his power to do the right thing with respect to supporting loyal employees.  He failed to do so.  Major Ward Mathews crawled under a rock and hid while loyal employees got screwed.

“Major Green violated me when he took and displayed the picture of me, and today The Salvation Army violated me again.”  One of the ladies whose picture was taken told me that the day The Salvation Army announced that Major Robert Green was being transferred to Fort Worth, Texas, as the Corp Officer.  She was one hundred percent correct.  She found herself having to face the fact that The Salvation Army did not care about her.

Major Green should have received the same punishment I would have received if I had been the cameraman.   I would have been terminated immediately, sent out of the building and would never be allowed to return.  Instead The Salvation Army thumbed its nose at everyone who was violated by Major Green.  Major Green is now the Corp Officer in Fort Worth, Texas.  He is still in a position where he can disrespect loyal employees of The Salvation Army.

Let's apply The Salvation Army's five core values to the actions taken by two Human Resources employees, Area Commander Major Ward Matthews and Divisional Commander Ken Luyk.

Passionate.  There is no question that they all acted passionately with respect to the cover up actions they took.  

Compassionate. I'm sure the Divisional Commander and the Area Commander will argue that they were showing compassion for a fellow officer.  I am also certain that the two human resources employees told themselves the same thing,  I doubt any of them truly believes the cover up was out of compassion for Major Robert Green.  None of them
showed any compassion for the victims of Major Green's actions.  In the end their actions only empowered Major Green to run his mouth about those of us who “just can't take a joke.”

Bravery. The cover up was nothing less than a cowardly act.  No one had the guts to do the right thing.  

Trustworthy.  I am certain other Salvation Army officers expected a cover up and they trust a cover up will be there for them if they need it.  The victims of Major Green's actions trusted that The Salvation Army would be there for them, but Major Ward Mathews and Lt. Colonel Ken Luyk proved that The Salvation Army is not trustworthy.  Employees trust of the Salvation Army has once again been shaken to the core, but who really cares; certainly no
Salvation Army officer, gives a d**n.

Uplifting.  Absolutely no one was uplifted by the cowardly actions of Major Robert Green, Major Ward Mathews, Lt. Colonel Ken Luyk and the two Human Resources who were sent to begin the cover up.

Here is the final blow with respect to Major Green.  On May 21, 2013 The Salvation Army released a bulletin announcing that Major Robert Green was sent to Moore, Oklahoma as a counselor, in the aftermath of the tornado that recently moved through the area.   With everything The Salvation Army knows about this man, he was still sent to be a counselor. Major Robert Green should be receiving counseling, not giving it.