Is workplace violence to blame for the murder of Annie Le? Raymond Clark, the person of interest in the murder case, was arrested today and faces murder charges for the death of the 24 year old Yale Graduate student. Now that Raymond Clark has been arrested, many wonder what the motive for this heinous crime was. The case has been sealed and police aren’t releasing many details regarding circumstances surrounding Annie Le's death or how Annie Le’s body appeared when found. Today, however, in a press conference, the New Haven, Connecticut Chief of Police attributed the death of Annie Le to workplace violence.

The statement regarding workplace violence appears to put an end to rumors and speculation that Annie Le and Raymond Clark were involved in a romantic relationship. Both were engaged to be married to other people; Annie Le’s deceased body was discovered the day she had planned to be married. Is this truly a case of workplace violence or are police just putting an end to the countless rumors that have permeated top news stories worldwide?

According to the United States Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); violence in the workplace is a serious concern that has affected numerous people. In 2005, there were 564 workplace homicides reported. The instances of workplace violence had increased for both men and women in the year 2006.

Many companies implement strategies to help reduce the number of workplace violence related incidents. Workplace violence can range from verbal threats and abuse to its ultimate form, homicide as is seen in the case of Annie Le. It is estimated that nearly 2 million Americans are victimized by violence in the workplace each year. Annie Le fits some of the criteria that have been shown to increase someone’s vulnerability to workplace violence. Risk factors include those who work with money, deliver goods, work alone or in small groups, work late night or early morning hours, or those who work in high crime areas. Annie Le was known to work in the University Lab by herself well into the night.

If it is proved that Annie Le was a victim of workplace violence, the question will be asked whether the University had taken appropriate steps to protect her while she worked in the lab. Some steps that companies and organizations can take to prevent or reduce the amount of workplace violence include providing security through the use of video surveillance, additional lighting, guards, and alarm systems, ensuring that those who are working by themselves have easy access to alarms or other devices that they can access to signal that they are in danger, and through the use of buddy systems to prevent people from being alone in unsafe or isolated areas.

Yale University does have a workplace violence policy in place. According to their website they are committed to ensuring that their campus is free of any acts of workplace related violence. They state that they will take all instances of reported threats, harassment or other workplace related violence incidents seriously and will respond appropriately. The policy advises people to contact the Yale Police at first sign of a threat as well as speaking to a supervisor, contacting a union official, and contacting human resources staff. There were no previous reports of violence, threats, or harassment from Raymond Clark towards Annie Le.