As you know, I never said it was okay to punch someone in the office. I’m racking my brain to remember when I’ve seen it and can’t remember it happening specially but probably did at one time or another when I was in a combat arms organization in the army.

I do remember a situation in business where I had 2 former military officers who worked for me that disagreed about something we were looking at implementing. One of the guys happened to be a West Point graduate. He was smart fucker, but could be a real prick sometimes. When the WPer realized he was losing the argument, he started subtly belittling this other good guy who had gone to Norwich. It finally got to the point where Norwich grad told west pointer (who was a much bigger guy, I might add) that if he did it again he was going to kick his ass. West Pointer did it again and Norwich walked over, picked him up out of his chair and body slammed him. He didn’t punch him, but he made his point and neither my partner or me did much about it other than separate them. Best I can do.

seriously, man, you think that's tolerable in the workplace? From every angle it appears to have been mishandled. And I note that it presumably didn't occur in the presence of a few 11-year-old's, because if it did you breached every obligation I can think of.

is an okey-dokey way to solve workplace disputes.