Meet Kia Roberts and Triangle Investigations

#MeToo, #TimesUp, #WhyIDidntReport.

How many sexual and other harassment allegations and cases have we reported on over these last few years? Countless. While some think "who's going to be next?" or "enough is enough," the conversation is a vital one to have. Progress is the key, though, and people like Kia Roberts are moving that progress forward. Just last week, Kia founded Triangle Investigations, a tech-assisted group of expert investigators that go into workplaces and other organizations to conduct investigations into allegations of misconduct (i.e.: sexual harassment allegations, discrimination allegations, etc.)

Kia was the NFL's first-ever Director of Investigations, a position in which she conducted investigations into allegations of violations of the NFL's Personal Conduct Policy for all NFL players and employees. Before that, Kia spent nearly a decade as a Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Kings County District Attorney's Office in Brooklyn, New York, ending her career there in the Office’s highly prestigious Homicide Bureau.

We had the privilege of speaking exclusively with Kia at length about the launch of Triangle and workplace harassment in general.

Patch: What makes Triangle Investigations unique?

KR: What makes us especially unique is that we are rapid-responders to allegations of misconduct—our ability to respond quickly is enhanced by the Telli app, Triangle’s free and proprietary phone app. Telli works as a reporting mechanism for persons making complaints about misconduct. The complaint is made via the Telli app, Triangle receives the claim immediately, and kicks into motion to conduct the investigation.

Patch: I see you've had a pretty impressive career thus far; why did you decide to start your own venture now?

KR: The complex national conversation that is currently occurring around issues of workplace misconduct and sexual harassment continues to intensify, and doesn’t look to be letting up anytime soon. I went on maternity leave in 2018, as my husband and I welcomed our second daughter. During my maternity leave,I felt like I couldn’t escape the constant news about people in workplaces and other organizations behaving badly, whether related to issues of sexual harassment, bullying, and other allegations. Every time I would hear a news story on the subject, my first thought would always be—I know exactly how I would investigate this! I like to say that I’ve conducted every kind of investigation you can name—from harassment to homicide. After a few months of having these thoughts, I decided to launch my own investigations practice, where I could put my extensive investigative experience to work. I really feel that the services offered by Triangle are such a good fit for the workplaces and organizations of today—if you are a company that is hiring Triangle, you get the assurance of knowing that allegations are being handled promptly and thoroughly, helping to protect your group’s reputation and bottom line. If you are the person making an allegation of misconduct, you are guaranteed that your misconduct claim is being handled in a thoughtful, discreet, and serious manner by a diverse group of investigators who understand the sensitivity of these issues. The person making the claim is also comforted to know that the investigation is completely independent, so there will be no internal gossiping about the allegations, and no playing of office politics.

Patch: What types of clients are you looking to acquire?

KR: I am looking to acquire clients at small and mid-size companies and organizations. Misconduct allegations are serious and potentially ruinous to an organization if not handled correctly. Whether you are a 50-member law firm, a 200-member faculty group at a school, or a 10-person restaurant, you need Triangle on your team. Triangle is also uniquely ideal for decentralized workplaces, where there really is no Human Resources “door” to go knock on and make a complaint—i.e.: restaurants, hotels, construction companies.

Patch: Are you working with any firms now?

KR: Triangle is officially 6 days old, so not yet! But the amount of interest that we are already receiving has been tremendous. We are currently fielding phone calls and taking meetings. This week alone I am meeting with a nonprofit tech organization, an already-established tech company, and a former staffer to a United States Senator.

Patch: How do you define workplace misconduct?

KR: What’s so difficult to pin down about workplace misconduct is that it really runs on a case-by-case basis, depending on the culture of the organization. While there is universal acceptance that sexual harassment, or using racially-charged slurs, for example, are inappropriate, you can’t put too fine a point on other types of misconduct, and it’s difficult to give a clean definition of it. What might be considered “misconduct” in one work environment might be completely acceptable in another organization. Some employers, for example, frown upon employees being romantically involved in any way whatsoever, and would consider interoffice dating to be a type of misconduct. Other employers on the other hand might only discourage dating when it is a superior dating a direct report of theirs. Triangle is flexible and customizes our services according to the client’s needs, and their articulation to us of what their workplace norms are—what is and isn’t okay at their organization.

Patch: Do you think the #MeToo movement is the reason sexual misconduct is being reported so widely today (Gillibrand, Wynn, Biden, to name a few.)

KR: I think that the #MeToo movement, along with the ubiquitous presence of social media, have combined in a very powerful manner that is resulting in an intense national conversation about standards of behavior and conduct. Traditional media is breathlessly covering every new misconduct allegation against high-profile individuals, and people are having constant conversations on social media about these allegations and voicing their (usually very strong) opinions on the matter. The topic has become inescapable, and every organization—whether a workplace, a school, or a restaurant—needs to be thoughtful and mindful about how they will handle misconduct claims if and when they arise.

Patch: What other types of misconduct do you think may be under-reported?

KR: I think that workplace sexual harassment is, hands down, the most under-reported type of misconduct. It is such a complex topic—in many instances, the victim of the harassment is embarrassed and humiliated by the harassment. And when the victim does make the decision to report, there are concerns about possible retaliation, internal gossiping about the allegations, or just general concerns about office politics. That’s why hiring Triangle makes so much sense—we are independent, and conduct the investigation in an impartial manner. We also have extensive experience dealing with sensitive allegations, so a person making a report is getting a thoughtful and listening ear throughout the investigation.

Patch: When you're not working, how do you like to spend your time?

KR: My husband and I have two kids under the age of 5, and I love hanging out with them! Our baby is currently trying to walk, so she’s keeping us on our toes! We spend lots of time in the parks in our neighborhood and hanging out on the stoop of our brownstone in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn. I am also a voracious reader—I prefer traditional books for reading fiction, and audiobooks for listening to nonfiction. I am also a complete Bravo addict, and can speak extensively about any developments on any of the Real Housewives series! I’m also a podcast aficionado—one of my favorite podcasts is actually a weekly analysis of the latest Real Housewives episodes. I’m in deep!

Clearly Kia is someone we all need to follow, so to find Triangle Investigations online:

Web: https://www.triangleinvestigations.com/
Twitter: @triangleinv
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kia-roberts-0b356912/