Lawsuit Verdict

Eventually my lawyer told me going to trial would cost me about $40,000. That's $40,000 bucks, up front, straight out of my very empty pockets AND there was a good chance the judge would throw it out of court because that's what judges did ten years ago. He didn't tell me this during our first meeting or I might have not agreed to go through all the hell I did. At the time with no income, no job and no job prospects, it was not an option for me. But even if I had the extra money, I had no confidence in my lawyer's ability to win let alone work. At that point I felt I'd done enough to attract attention and possibly affect change. Lawsuits are really for the rich. Pro-bono afforded me just enough to get noticed. There might have been other hoop-jumping games I could have played to continue without forking out a bunch of money I didn't have, but other options weren't offered. Maybe my attorney was tired of working for free? And I was really tired. Two years of ongoing stress is enough to break anyone. 

What I accomplished:

Satisfaction knowing I didn't just go away quietly and disappear.

Satisfaction knowing everyone in the school knew about it as well as many others throughout the district. With the exception of the perfume wearers, nearly all my fellow teachers emailed me after I walked off the job to apologize and say they wish they would have known.  How many people did the opposing counsel interview? How many people talked about it? My ex-library assistant was working in the district office during this time and she kept me abreast of the district chatter. Making people aware of chemical sensitivity is priceless. I also kept running into students who would hug me, tell me they were sorry the school made me sick, and that they missed me. It was very sweet. I really wanted to tell them it wasn't the school, it was that stinky teacher of yours!

Money affects change. Their lawyer was expensive. He was from a huge law firm in the city and running for senate the year of my deposition. He spent many hours interviewing district employees, filing paperwork, and attending meetings. Very expensive. My problem, as the principal called it, didn't go unnoticed.

And the best, the principal was fired. Of course, the idiot man was hired as a principal in another district because few school districts have standards. I think like pedophiles stupid principals should have to be declared where ever they go so everyone is aware of their bad behaviors. The only thing I regret about not going through with a lawsuit is I very badly wanted him to be deposed. To be inconvenience just a little. Hearing he was fired helped.

Consequences:

Paranoia. Having every detail of my personal life and health scrutinized by strangers who treated me like a criminal left me very cautious about giving any information to anyone. I don't tell doctors much anymore because I know nothing is really confidential and any information disclosed can be twisted to use against you disguised as justice.

Cynicism. As if I wasn't already cynical! I was told by several people the law is written for the accused, not the victims, and it only works for people who have money. I don't have a lot of confidence in it to protect me from any injustice. Maybe this is not cynicism, but realism. I need to buy a gun....

I am not an attorney so much of my information is based on personal experience from ten years ago which might be a little outdated. The case studies I've read since suggest times are changing. Discrimination lawsuits due to lack of accommodation aren't being thoughtlessly thrown out of the courtroom like they were ten years ago. People are winning lawsuits and affecting change, but each individual has a different set of circumstances that can affect outcomes. And change is slow!