Monday's court hearing continues to leave a very bitter taste in my mouth. Even some students and friends I've told about what happened are surprised at the turn of events and disbelieving that the judge continues to prevent me from taking the stand and refuses to take the time to hear my new evidence.
When the judge first asked me what conditions I would need to accept a settlement, first I reminded him that 3 years earlier, before I filed this civil lawsuit, I had met twice with the nursing college to discuss correcting their inappropriate, incorrect and illegal actions regarding the false sex harassment accusation to avoid a lawsuit, but both times they flatly refused and made matters worse by illegally denying my appeals of their decision on the ridiculous grounds that I was a "contract teacher" and the nursing college and the Ministry of Education had no responsibility for handling the appeal. The nursing college had taken up the accusation, investigated it, decided on it, and then tried to claim they had no more responsibility for their actions!
I explained to the judge that if the nursing college had agreed 3 years ago to correct their decision, clear my record with MOE and restore my reputation, then it would have been enough for to accept. However, after struggling through over 3 years of insufficient employment, increasing debt and added expenses related to fighting this fraud, suffering from emotional and psychological trauma, and spending hundreds of hours of my time on this case, I'd like some of the monetary compensation I was suing for. The college's answer was unsurprisingly "no."
As we continued to discuss a settlement, the judge, my attorney, and the interpreter all kept putting pressure on me to agree. I was especially ticked off by my attorney who beseeched me to "accept the only option" because I already "lost this first court" and if I appealed I would "lose the second court" and even the high court if I reached that far. He did nothing to defend my right to present my evidence, including the new material, and little more to help me get fairer conditions from a settlement.
In effect, I was alone in trying to stave off further abuse of my rights and a premature end to my fight for the truth and justice.
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