How can the NYCDOE so blatantly ignore the rules while falsely substantiating charges to justify their general claims of my of being “loose with the rules,” an allegation they have failed to substantiate in front of an ‘impartial’ arbitrator?
The answer is that they are not fighting alone — they have a powerful ally in the UFT. No one has ever stood up to these two, when they band together. I can see why. If I had known what was coming, I may have just found another job. I guess I am just naïve.
They assumed that I would quickly roll over when I had no way to pay my mortgage at the same time that every single person who might be able to clear my name was being silenced. Even though I was receiving no paycheck, I actually could not get another job without first resigning since I technically still worked for the NYCDOE as long as I kept fighting for my reinstatement. It’s a virtual headlock.
Instead of resigning or succumbing to their bullying, I took out a second mortgage on my house to allow me to pay the first one for the six months I went without a paycheck. I also borrowed money from friends and family while this process went through. Eventually, I moved my family into a storage unit and tried to sell the house so that I would get out from under the debt altogether and have some cash reserves to keep on paying my lawyer. I don’t recommend this to anyone. I am choosing to write this series of blog posts so that others can learn from my experience without having to go through it in such a painful way.
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