JUNE 8, 2004, I WAS TERMINATED FROM ELI LILLY &CO PHARMACEUTICAL.
I WORKED IN INDIANA AT THE CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS AND PLANT SITE FOR MORE THAN 12 YEARS. I WAS A STAR EMPLOYEE, ALTHOUGH I NEVER RECEIVED THE SAME BENEFITS AS MY CAUCASIAN COUNTER PARTS. I HAVE APPRECIATION LETTERS AND EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE REVIEWS, CORPORATE VIDEOS, LOCAL NEWSPAPER ARTICLES COMPANY RECOGNITION FROM ABOUT EVERY SR. EXECUTIVE AT THE COMPANY ETC. YET; I WAS CALLED RACIAL NAMES, DEALT WITH DAILY RACIAL SLURS FROM IMMEDIATE LINE MGMT AND COWORKERS ON A REGULAR BASIS. IN 2004 I ASKED FOR AN INVESTIGATION. THIS ALONE IS A LONG STORY BUT JUST KNOW THERE WAS NOTHING THAT CHANGED AS A RESULT OF THIS INVESTIGATION. TO LEAD UP TO TODAY'S EVENTS BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH TO COVER FOR THIS MEMO. I WENT INTO A BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP WITH, EXTERNAL TO THE COMPANY, WITH ANOTHER WHITE MALE EMPLOYEE WHO I THOUGHT WAS A FRIEND OF MINE. TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT THIS EXTERNAL BUSINESS REAL ESTATE DID NOT WORK OUT WELL. WE HAD DISPUTES OVER MONEY. THIS WHITE MALE TURNED IN A COMPLAINT TO HR THAT I WAS HARASSING HIM IN THE WORK PLACE. THIS OCCURRED MID APRIL 2004. MY BUSINESS PARTNER, WHO ALSO WORKED FOR THE COMPANY HAD A POOR PERFORMANCE RECORD AND WAS UNDER A VERBAL WARNING FOR TERMINATION IF HE COULD NOT IMPROVE HIS PERFORMANCE. HOWEVER THE HR REP, WHITE MALE WHO TOOK THE INVESTIGATION WAS A FRIEND OF MY BUSINESS PARTNER. THE INVESTIGATION TOOK ON THE FORMAT OF THE IRAQ PRISON TORTURE. I WAS GUILTY BEFORE THE INVESTIGATION/INTERROGATION STARTED. THE RESULTS CAME TODAY, ABOUT 2 MONTHS LATER. ALTHOUGH I WAS TOLD THAT EVEN THOUGH IT WAS UNPROVEN I LACKED CREDITABILITY AND THEREFORE I WAS GUILTY OF WORKPLACE HARASSMENT. OBVIOUSLY, THEY DID NOT FEEL THERE WAS STRONG ENOUGH EVIDENCE (NO EVIDENCE) TO TERMINATE ME ON. SO TO MY SHOCK I WAS TOLD I WAS BEING TERMINATED FOR MISCONDUCT-FALSIFYING DOCUMENTS WHICH WERE PERSONAL EMAIL ABOUT OUR EXTERNAL COMPANY THAT WERE SENT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN OUR EMAIL ACCOUNTS. THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COMPANY BUSINESS, PERFORMANCE, OR VIOLATING COMPANY POLICIES. THE PROCESS WAS CONDUCTED BY ALL WHITE MALES FROM HR AND ALL MY LINE MANAGEMENT WHO MADE THE FINAL DECISIONS WERE WHITE MALES. I AM A HIGHLY INTELLIGENT, OUTGOING AND AGGRESSIVE BLACK FEMALE WHO MY LINE MANAGEMENT HATED. WHEN MY MANAGER CALL ME INTO THE CONFERENCE ROOM HE MADE A GESTURE AND SAID "COM ON IN GIRLFRIEND" I PASSED MY IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR ON THE WAY DOWN THE HALL AND HE MUTTERED "WE GOT YO BLACK ASS NOW" AND ROLLED HIS EYES. HE RACIALLY HATED ME BECAUSE I OFTEN CHALLENGED HIS STYLE OF MANAGEMENT. WE JUST HAD A MAJOR DIFFERENCE OF OPINION LAST WEEK WHERE HIS DECISION WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE BUSINESS AND MINE WAS, SO THIS WAS SWEET REVENGE FOR HIM. I AM STILL IN SHOCK. HOWEVER KNOWING HOW RACIST THIS COMPANY IS, IT SHOULD NOT SURPRISE ME. THEY APPEAR TO LOOK GOOD AT THE TOP BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY DONATE TO ALL THE MAGAZINES AND SURVEYS THAT GIVE US THE RATING FOR CORPORATE DIVERSITY. BUT AT THE SURFACE ARE STILL THE NARROW MINDED KKK ATTITUDE "GOOD OLD BOY" MENTALITY. I AM CONFIDENT THERE ARE HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF MINORITIES THAT EXPERIENCE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AT THIS COMPANY AND HAVE SUFFERED THROUGH WRONGFUL TERMINATION. BUT WHEN A CORPORATION IS DEEMED AS THE "SAVIOR OF THE STATE" THESE THINGS ARE SWEPT UNDER THE RUG BY LOCAL AND STATE OFFICIAL OR IN SOME EXTREME CASES HUSH MONEY IS GIVEN TO AVOID LAW SUITS. AS WELL THERE ARE SOME LAW SUITS I AM SURE BUT OF COURSE NOTHING THAT WOULD BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. well, IT IS A POLITICAL YEAR FOR INDIANA GOVERNOR AND PRESIDENTS WHICH AMERICA PHARMAS STRONGLY SUPPORT THE REPUBLICAN PLATFORM AND WITH LILLY'S OWN MITCH DANIELS RUNNING FOR OFFICE OF GOVERNOR. I THINK THIS IS A TUFF TIME BUT A PERFECT TIME TO SHED SOME LIGHT ON WHEN IT SAYS "LILLY IT MEANS WHITE" I HAVE SOME WHEELS IN MOTION CAN ANYONE OFFER ANY LEGAL RESOURCES AND SUGGESTIONS. THE DOWNSIDE IS I AM OUT OF WORK, OUT OF MONEY, AND HAVE NOTHING TO DRAW ON UNTIL A FEW WEEKS WHEN I CAN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY 44 YEARS OF LIFE DRAW UNEMPLOYMENT. BUT I AM DETERMINED TO MAKE NOTICE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND MOST IMPORTANT GET REIMBURSED FOR THE HARDSHIP THIS WRONGFUL TERMINATION IS GOING TO COST ME. THE HR REPS WERE ADAM HEMMING, MIKE ROESNER, FRED WRIGHT AND K. JACKSON. THE MANAGEMENT TEAM WAS TODD ELLIOT AND JIM TELFORD