It’s a sort of return to sender for the LR mayor of Noyon, Sandrine Dauchelle who called a few days ago for respect for elected officials, whom she said were “harassed” by opponents and critical voices. “These are words that made us jump,” confide Véronique and Marion, the wife and daughter ofOlivier Chabenatagent of the city of Noyon.
“When he signed the strike notice, he signed his death warrant”
Professional locksmith, aged 51 – 20 years in the shop in the town of Noyon – Olivier Chabenat “risks being fired”, announces his family. Formerly of the CGT, today with Solidarity Southhe is one of the last union delegates from Noyon and the Pays Noyonnais. It was for this reason that he triggered a demonstration by agents in May. “We didn’t try to dissuade him from launching this demonstration,” explains his wife, “we couldn’t have stopped him anyway, but when he signed the strike notice, he said: “I’m signing my death sentence.” Now on sick leave, Olivier Chabenat is the subject of disciplinary proceedings. He did not wish to speak out of his “duty of reserve”. However, he announced his intention to file a complaint against part of his hierarchy for harassment. The matter is in the hands of a lawyer.
“It’s infuriating today to see that they (the mayor and her majority, Editor’s note) are posing as victims while my father has been the victim of targeted harassment for months,” begins Marion Chabenat. The tensions between the union delegate and the city actually began before the May strike, they assure. Back in June 2022. That day “Olivier has a clash with a superior: he is outspoken, he says what he thinks, the tone quickly rises between the two” explains his wife. Until the accident. “He has had tension problems since 2003. That day he felt unwell in front of witnesses: the elected officials Didier PayenBenoît Goullieux and Clément Gaëtan. They advise him to return home,” the family continues. But the officer does not feel capable and asks for an ambulance. “Didier Payen, who is a doctor, quips ironically: “So you’re going to take a ride in a little red truck,” regrets Véronique Chabenat. “They tried to convince him to take a few days off, but he ended up being off work for two and a half months,” says his daughter. The incident was ultimately classified as a workplace accident “attributable to the employer”. Oise Hebdo was able to consult the documents.
After the incident, a “real putting in the closet”
His family then describes months without any tasks assigned to him. “A real closet, his bench was continually empty, the atmosphere was heavy at work, and it followed him all the way home, everyone suffered the consequences,” they describe. The family evokes “deceitful” insinuations, part of “continuous and targeted harassment”. And directly implicates the 1er deputy Didier Payen. “Although a doctor, in meetings and although he knew Olivier’s medical problems perfectly, he allowed himself reflections such as “you have to take your little pills, Mr. Chabenat”,” says his wife Véronique.
The incident of June 2022 could have left it there. “But we were surprised to see a summons arrive from the city asking my father to go to an interview with a doctor,” says Marion Chabenat. His daughter, who compiled all the documents in the case, searches in a heavy binder of several hundred pages: “The appointment was set for February 9, 2023, in Soissons, in the office of a psychiatrist…” . “Olivier said to himself that they were going to try to make him look crazy,” comments his wife. There, the agent answers a whole series of questions, talks about his childhood, his work… The psychiatrist relies, to conduct the interview, on a report from 1er deputy Didier Payen. Marion Chabenat reads the psychiatrist’s conclusions: “The pathology from which Mr. Chabenat suffers is essentially caused by working conditions.”
“They did everything to derail his claim for compensation”
Following these procedures, Olivier Chabenat is declared eligible for ATI, Temporary Disability Attribution. In April 2023 he made the request. This salary compensation valid for 5 years “must not be paid by the City, but they did everything to derail his request”, annoys Marion. Today, almost two years after the first request, he still has not seen the color of it. “The human resources first said that they had lost the documents, he had to give them back, lost again, then he redeposited the file in person to the HR Director Rachida Abbou against signature. Afterwards he made reminders, reminders, reminders, we told him yes, yes, yes.” But on October 2, 2024, he learned that the deadlines had been exceeded, he had to start again.
Also to start again: psychiatric expertise. “Because of the city’s slow pace, they were given the opportunity – it wasn’t a requirement – to have him re-interview. Which they undoubtedly did in the hope of obtaining more favorable conclusions for them,” explain Véronique and Marion Chabenat. The summons falls on… August 22, 2024. The agent must interrupt his vacation. “He is received by the same doctor, who says that he has nothing to hide, and reads him a letter written this time by Rachida Abbou: in it she tries to convince the psychiatrist that Olivier is unstable, unmanageable, she writes that he is under disciplinary sanction,” explains the family. The doctor’s diagnosis does not vary: “It is obvious that returning to work was not the positive outcome of his clinical condition, but seems to have caused a permanent reminiscence of the trauma suffered.” “Bad luck for them, the psychiatrist links everything to the 2022 incident,” comments the family. Since then, Olivier Chabenat, on medical advice, has been on sick leave again.
Three-day layoff for “refusal of order”
The disciplinary sanction mentioned by HR in its letter to the doctor concerns an incident dated this summer, in July. Shortly before his vacation, Olivier Chabenat allegedly contested an order from a superior. “That day, he was asked to change a door closer, a usual task, but the whole procedure was completely different from usual without us wanting to provide him with an explanation,” comments the family. After tense exchanges, the agent said he was waiting for details. The order will never be executed. Olivier Chabenat was then summoned to the office of HR Director Rachida Abbou, in the presence of the director of technical services. “He was accused of all evils, of having tried to sabotage the security commission for the Olympic Games, the installation of the lock in question concerning a gymnasium which was to be used by Olympic athletes,” reports the family. Consequence: three days of layoff. The agent decides to make a voluntary appeal to Mayor Sandrine Dauchelle. He never got an answer. He will challenge the sanctions before the administrative court.
A “police operation” carried out by the DGS, the mayor, the security assistant and a municipal police officer
But it’s not over. “Four days after the request for a voluntary appeal, the real problems begin,” continues Marion Chabenat. “They have taken it to the next level,” says Véronique. “That day, Sandrine Dauchelle, Mr. Mastouri, the deputy Isabelle Da Silva and a municipal police officer carried out a “police operation” in the workshops, particularly the locksmith one. Why do they intervene? Who told them what? We don’t know. The fact remains that they make discoveries that we cannot talk about, an investigation being underway,” says those close to him. Olivier Chabenat was in fact heard by the gendarmes. He is represented by a lawyer. “Whatever they were able to find, we have proof that they had the locks of this workshop changed a few days before their descent: ultimately, not only was he the only one not to have access to the workshop since he had been off work for three months at that time, but above all he was the only one not to have the key,” they detail. Olivier Chabenat was notified of a suspension of his duties as of January 11, 2025, the theoretical end date of his work stoppage. He has not yet been heard by the city on this matter. “Our lawyer intends to contest the entire procedure,” reveals his daughter.
In view of her father’s complex situation, both professionally and morally, Marion Chabenat decided at the beginning of the summer to write to Sandrine Dauchelle. It was before the “police operation”. His letter, in the form of a long six-page summary, concludes with a request for an interview. In response, she received a letter from the mayor mentioning “administrative consequences” for her father.
“They are trying to trap him to have him revoked”
For those close to Olivier Chabenat, “this episode is the last piece they were missing to kick him out.” “Due to his status as a protected employee, they needed a very heavy file to get rid of an embarrassing union representative. It is believed they are trying to trick him into dismissing him. But we are accumulating testimonies and documents.” Oise Hebdo was again able to consult some of them. “Olivier has nothing to hide, he went to answer the police himself, he is waiting calmly for what comes next,” add those close to him. Relatives who insist on the collateral damage of these repeated affairs. “All this is very difficult for him, as the medical reports attest, but also difficult for those around him. Daily life is complicated, it ruined the holidays this summer, spoiled the end-of-year celebrations, it’s been a burden on everyone for months.”
Complaint against “around ten people”
Since the locksmith room affair, Olivier Chabenat has entrusted his case to a lawyer. His family announces its intention to file a complaint “for harassment” against his entire hierarchical chain. “A total of around ten people at all levels, some parties, some in office, some leaving and some agents who participated.” The file is being compiled by Me Anthony Alexandre, lawyer at the Compiègne bar.
When contacted, Chokri Mastouri, general director of services for the city of Noyon, replied “not wanting to comment on a file concerning an agent”. The 1st deputy Didier Payen did not respond to our requests either.
