CAME FORWARD AT MUNICIPAL LEVEL TO MAYOR; RETALIATED AGAINST AND FIRED

[Roxanne Eggert <seagshev@aol.com>]

I have met some wonderful women through this outlet and would like to submit:  I have worked in the La Crosse, Wisconsin legal community for over 20 years.  I took a  job at City Hall on July 5, 1989 and had "exceptional" reviews until I came forward with a complaint against my supervisor, the City Attorney in May of 1998. I did all the right things, exhausted my internal grievance procedures, went to the Personnel Director who actually helped me draft the grievance against my supervisor, went to my elected official, etc.

Beginning with my grievance in 1998, the City hired an "unbiased" investigator from Milwaukee to come to City Hall in La Crosse, spend upwards of $60,000 and come up with the answer the City paid her to come up with. That both I and the other female that filed grievances had no leg to stand on and, in fact, we should be disciplined for insubordination.

Well, since the City has unlimited taxpayer funds, it was a general slide into dismissal from then on.  They have 5 legal firms on retainer so the usual Personnel 101 maneuver started:  They started loading up my personnel file with memos about my "insubordination" and even memos from fellow workers whom I thought were "friends" but who rallied around the powers that be to keep their jobs.

I had major neurosurgery after falling down concrete steps at work due to melted snow; the day I got back I was harassed unmercifully, even though I was on 4 hour work days and under workers comp restrictions. The City did not comply with my restrictions, I would go  home at night and drink like a fish, the drinking and retaliation escalated.  It affected my personal life, my husband and I separated, we lost our house, had to cash in my retirement, etc., as they fired me March 22, 2000 while I was in alcohol treatment aftercare.

You may ask:  How can they do that?

They also sent a "binder" to the Unemployment Commission and I received no unemployment, but they wanted me to pay over $300 to maintain health insurance.  Yes, they cut off my health insurance within 8 days of firing me while I was in chemical dependency aftercare.

They wanted me devastated. I am not.

I am an alcoholic.  I am in recovery.  I am continuing my quest.  I had an 18 hour unemployment comp hearing over a course of 3 days and I thought the female Judge would see what really happened.

She didn't. She submitted a decision that was heart breaking and totally abusive towards me, just like I had gotten for years from both my employer and the state agency.

It is really sometimes unreal feeling.  They may make you believe you are nuts (and trust me, I've been there).  But, I will not let this injustice go unreported.

I am going to appeal the ALJ's decision to continue denial of my unemployment benefits. The City paid 4 people to sit there for 18 hours and I spent thousands of dollars on an attorney to help.

If there are women that have some words of "wisdom", or maybe a different perspective or a story of commonality, I sure would be happy to hear from you.  I met a Robin Davis on this site and I have lost touch with her.  If she is out there, Robin, I miss ya and you must have changed your e-mail.

Roxie Eggert 

One woman who will not be as morally bankrupt as the numerous persons who would like me to just "go away".