Legal Question in Legal Ethics in Washington

Being Asked to Participate in Unethical Practices by My Employer

As the office manager, it was my responsibility to obtain signatures on loan documentation from a principal's wife. I had been told the day prior that the marriage was not going well and the principal wanted to set up an additional direct deposit for his paycheck to an account his wife could not access. On the day I was to obtain the wife's loan signature, I was told that she would not sign the documentation and that the principal would forge her signature. I stated to the principal that I did not feel comfortable giving the documents to the principal to forge the signature. I then reported the incident to the other principal of the firm. The next Monday, I was called into a meeting and severly reprimanded for not doing what I was told. I was told in the meeting that I do not have authority nor was it my responsibility to say ''no''. I was told that I could never ''go to jail'' for having knowledge of the forgery. At that point, I attempted to resign, but was talked out of it. Legally, ethically and as the office manager, did I do the correct thing by refusing to be a part of the forgery? I am still contemplating resigning.

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