Since I’m mentioning this on the podcast today, I thought I should post about it too. As the title says: I have been laid off from my job.
It has been a long nearly three months. On September fourth, I was told my position was being reclassified, I was placed on paid administrative leave, and I was informed I would be laid off when my position was reclassified. November first was my last day working for the city of Portland, Oregon (Portland).
I worked for Portland for six years and seven months. Since my first day working there, I faced disability discrimination. I also faced retaliation for pointing out Portland’s systemic violations of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Shortly after finding out I was being placed on administrative leave and that I was scheduled for layoff, I filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). As soon as I realized Portland was going to regularly violate my rights Under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act, I have been following the steps I will discuss on today’s podcast. Because I have been following these steps, I was able to file a complaint with the EEOC that is nearly 40 pages in length. I was able to support the claims made in my complaint with 30 pages of emails detailing the discrimination I have been facing.
My interview with the EEOC is scheduled for December 31st. I will have more to say about the discrimination I faced and my complaint around that time.
In case anyone is wondering, I never received a disciplinary complaint. Every year I worked for Portland, I met or exceeded all of my performance goals. They had no grounds to place me on leave and/or lay me off.
I decided to share this today, because I hope others can learn from my experiences and will be able to defend themselves if they, too, suffer ableism and discrimination at work.