A Disappointing Case Update

A copy of the post I wrote on LinkedIn this morning to lock in a moment of time I know I will remember for the rest of my life.

My commitment in sharing my story has always been transparency, so I'm sharing the devastating news that I learned this morning that the CA Civil Rights Department closed my case and issued a Right to Sue notice.

After 18 months and the involvement of their lawyers, the reason they gave me was two words: Agency Discretion.

Infuriating. Disappointing.
And leaving me with one path forward:
Filing a lawsuit.
Representing myself.

Because I knew I gave up any hope of finding a lawyer as soon as I decided to speak out.

I did it anyway, because silence has a cost too.
It makes the victim feel like they did something wrong.
Like they should be ashamed.

But I did not deserve what happened to me.
And I have nothing to be ashamed of.

I know some people will read this and assume I must be wrong, or that I must be the problem.

Honestly? I'd probably think the same thing if I were following along as someone claimed that everyone they turned to for help had failed them.

But I know the truth.

And I've come too far — fighting to expose a broken system and the lack of protections for employees in this country — to only come this far.

I will not give up without doing absolutely everything in my power to fight for the justice I know I deserve.

And if that means doing the terrifying thing and filing pro se?
Then I'm going to do the terrifying thing.

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A longer post will be coming once I’ve had time to process all of the emotions, feelings and thoughts.