I recently took a pre-employment polygraph for a public safety agency and failed it. After three rounds of asking the same questions in different order, the examiner told me that I failed on two questions: Speaking badly about a boss and sexual misconduct.

I have never committed a sex crime and have a completely clean record. As far as the boss thing goes, I have had bosses that I did not like, but I have never spoken badly about them out in the open.

Anyways, the examiner asked me what I was thinking about during the two questions he said I had a reaction to that was "off the charts".

I gave honest answers that for the boss question I was thinking about how my parents were my bosses when I was a child and that I would often complain about them during school. For the sexual misconduct question, I stated that I was thinking about when I had anal sex with my partner and that anal sex was outlawed in the state I was from. The examiner stated that there must be something more to the story (rape, underage, etc) and I affirmed him that it was consensual, legal aged sex.

He once again accused me of having sex with dead people, animals, and children which I once again stated that I never have. I told him that the "baddest" sexual experience I ever had was the one time me and my girlfriend tried anal. He then seemed content with my answer, but told me I failed the polygraph. 

I asked him whether or not I should withdraw my application, as a failed polygraph basically means you are done for, to which he stated absolutely not. He said that if I wanted to continue pursuing a job at the department, that I was welcome to return for a second polygraph. However, I explained that I had already spent close to $1,000 on travel to attend the various test sessions and that since I was recently hired by another large city public safety agency, that I couldn't justify another $400 to retake a test I already failed once. He seemed to understand that and told me to share my intentions with the hiring director.

I emailed the hiring director that I wouldn't be pursuing the position any further and that I can be taken off of the applicant list. Today I got an email saying that I should "strongly reconsider my decision to withdraw my application".

Okay, now I'm paranoid.

-Does that email reply mean that I actually had a good chance at getting hired, given my performance in the other tests, and they wanted to keep me? Or does it mean that they are going to charge me for the next testing appointment that I dropped?
-Does failing a polygraph show up on your background records? This was not for a federal agency, but rather a local municipality.
-The department I currently work at does not require polygraphs, is this agency going to notify my current employer that I failed their polygraph during the application process?
-Is the FBI/police going to follow me around now, because I failed a section on a major criminal offense?

I see,

Could you possibly give some input on a few questions?
-Does that email reply mean that I actually had a good chance at getting hired, given my performance in the other tests, and they wanted to keep me? Or does it mean that they are going to charge me for the next testing appointment that I dropped?
-Does failing a polygraph show up on your background records? This was not for a federal agency, but rather a local municipality.
-The department I currently work at does not require polygraphs, is this agency going to notify my current employer that I failed their polygraph during the application process?
-Is the FBI/police going to follow me around now, because I failed a section on a major criminal offense? 

Thanks for your input.

My opinion is....NO, NO, NO & NO.

The whole polygraph experience was extremely uncomfortable. Even before he reported that I had a reaction to the two final questions, he openly accused me of lying during the pre-poly questionnaire.

When he asked if I had stolen something from work, other than pens and notebooks, I answered no. He then stated that "Come on, we have ALL taken something from work before of value. Whether it be laptops, software, etc."

I was like, "Dude, what? No I haven't." It took a few rounds of that before he believed me.

He later asked me what prejudices against people I have, stating that EVERYONE is prejudice and that he wouldn't take "none" for an answer. I explained that while stereotypes will sometimes be the first thing that come up into my head when I see a group of people, I have enough life experiences to know that someone is more complex often different than what they are stereotyped to be.

Still, he INSISTED that we could not proceed with the interview unless I gave him a specific group of people I was prejudiced against. I finally just said "people who abuse religion for their own personal gain".

It was as if he was more interested in getting me to say what he wanted to hear, rather than listen to what I had to say about my past and personality.

Nonetheless, as long as this does not effect my current employment and my clean background, I can sleep easy. I'm currently employed at a larger municipality that has a much better name recognition than the place I was applying, but did not pay as much which is why I tried to make the jump  a new job.

It's their loss. As if he had not twisted the polygraph, he would have found out during the deep background check that I had an absolutely untarnished history as a law abiding citizen, always left of excellent terms with my previous employers, held a bachelor's degree with high grades, and was trilingual.

I suppose in retrospect, this may be the best thing to happen to me and other people who have failed out of polygraphs during the application process. I now know what departments to avoid and which ones are progressive enough to not rely on pseudo science to weed out applicants.