“I worked at a legal tech company as an account manager beginning in February 2022. I was the only Black American in my department, and one of only three Black employees in the entire company. The rest of the team was white.
From the start, I faced exclusion and hostility. I was blocked from attending meetings directly tied to my job duties. In the meetings I did attend, the Director of Client Success frequently bullied me, skipped over me when it was my turn to speak — only calling on me last — and exhibited aggressive, threatening body language, including clenched fists and confrontational behavior as if trying to provoke a physical altercation.
I was routinely set up to fail. I was given incorrect information, denied time off for a needed emergency spine surgery, and continually sidelined. When I reported the director’s behavior to the new HR director, I was fired within hours. It was not the first time I reported the harassment, but it was the last straw for them.
A former HR director who left the company provided a written witness statement confirming that leadership had been targeting me with harassment and that they had made efforts to avoid hiring diverse candidates. She noted that when she tried to improve hiring practices, she faced resistance from the organization.
They had made efforts to avoid hiring diverse candidates.
I didn’t receive my full final paycheck and was given no severance Leadership showed no concern after firing me following yet another incident of racial harassment.
The emotional toll was severe. I felt suicidal and scared. Since being terminated, I’ve been unemployed and am now facing possible homelessness. I’ve filed a charge with the EEOC, but no investigator has been assigned yet. Reputable attorneys have been difficult to secure. Meanwhile, the company has retained one of the largest law firms in the country to represent them.”