. Was In A Relationship With My Supervisor; She Crossed Boundaries At Work And I Was Fired Right After Asking To Talk About It. Do I Have Any Options?

I worked at the same company for 16 years. Earlier last year, a coworker and I developed a romantic relationship. At the time, she wasn’t my supervisor, but a few months in she was promoted to General Manager. That made her my direct boss.

After her promotion, she continued making sexual comments to me at work (things like calling me “daddy,” sexual jokes, and suggestions about having sex in the office). She also made physical gestures at work that made me uncomfortable. I repeatedly told her that I wanted to keep the relationship separate from the workplace.

This October she became more distant personally. I asked if we could talk about our relationship (outside work time). She agreed.

The next business day she avoided me completely. That same day, a younger coworker (who is not a supervisor and normally wouldn’t file reports) suddenly reported an incident from two days earlier where I underhand-tossed my keys to my GM during a frustrating moment. I was immediately terminated by upper management for “threatening behavior.”

I had no prior write-ups in 16 years, and other employees have done far worse (drinking at work, smoking weed on shift, harassment) without discipline. The timing feels strange — I asked to talk about the relationship Sunday, and Monday I was fired.

I have: • screenshots showing the relationship existed • screenshots where she called me “daddy” during the workday • records of her sending me large transfers on Venmo • photos of us at events • witnesses who knew about the relationship or saw some workplace behavior

My questions: 1. Does this potentially fall under retaliation, since the firing happened right after I tried to talk about the relationship? 2. Does Wisconsin’s DWD handle situations like this, or do I need to consult an employment attorney first? 3. Would the workplace sexual comments from this year still be relevant if I didn’t file a complaint when they happened?

I’m not looking to punish anyone — I just want to understand whether I was wrongfully terminated and what my next steps might be.

Any guidance on the process or who to contact first would be appreciated.

Location: WI