To: Lina Hidalgo From: Mary Courtney Date: 9/14/2022 Re: Hidalgo- Separation and General Release Agreement To whom it may concern, Lina Hidalgo for Harris County (campaign) I am Mary Courtney. I am writing this letter in order to make you aware of my disappointment, and of the damages done to my reputation regarding my tenure with the Linda Hidalgo reelection campaign. I am a political/campaign organizer. I have years of experience in the field and have worked on several campaigns for various candidates at all levels of government. In working with the Linda Hidalgo re-election campaign, however, my experience and past work have been ignored, and my advice and my style of engaging with potential volunteers vis a vis the campaign have been disparaged and ultimately denied, hence my termination as of (date of termination email). I do not deny the campaign’s ability to terminate any employee, however, in doing so, the campaign has interfered with my ability to get other employment from other campaigns, by disparaging my reputation. I was hired because of my past work efforts, determination, and commitment to serving the community and doing my part to improve the world. I chose the Hidalgo re-election campaign from among several campaigns with similar opportunities in Austin, Pennsylvania, Alaska, and other cities for noteworthy candidates. Now, after having been terminated and then maligned by campaign staff within the Hidalgo campaign, I am no longer in a position to get paid employment doing what I love, serving my communities. What follows is an overview of central details documenting my experience performing as Southwest Field Organizer Direct Point for the Lina Hidalgo re-election bid: • Hiring Interview: I had several conversations with staffer RJ Colorado before I was hired. I believe I was very transparent, precise, and consistent when I communicated my experience, which I would bring to the Hidalgo campaign. I directly expressed to RJ and Aylin, that I am an activist and an advocate with a reputation for operating within and holding to account institutions large and small regarding how they serve communities of color and disadvantaged communities. To wit, I have asked said institutions to live up to their expressed missions and their high ideals. This is to ensure that institutions uphold their principles and make all appropriate attempts to reconcile grievous deviations from those principles, thus ensuring fair treatment for ALL who fall in their various jurisdictions. I believe it is people like me who make a difference in the integrity of services paid for by our tax dollars, by speaking up and speaking out against abuses. •
Racial Discrimination Compliant: After professionally addressing my concerns that the Lina Hidalgo campaign was not reaching Black and Brown communities, I began to see that my position on the campaign staff was relegated to “being seen” as “Black support” for her candidacy, while I was disregarded and relegated to the position of “Black optics/ representation.” To wit, at my very first campaign event, while I was greeting potential volunteers and voters I was called outside of the event by RJ and remanded to sit at the table and not to engage. I was also instructed by the campaign staff NOT to appear in photos with the candidate, and not to take photos with the candidate. My intellectual contributions and my efforts to operate fully in the capacity of my hired position were quelled.
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Harassment: RJ Colorado repeatedly demanded that I publicly slander Republican candidate(s), by saying that “they are all liars”. Offended by this demand that I comply, I did refuse to do so. Anytime my perspectives were not in complete alignment with RJ Colorado I was called into his office for a series of interruptive “meetings” during the workday for interrogative questioning. I was badgered to turn over my own list of contacts developed from relationships earned in previous campaigns, to the Hidalgo campaign. I felt I was being used and expected to render valuable information to the campaign, while also expected to carry out my duties like an automaton, without thinking.
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Organization Chart: Several times within the 2-3 weeks of my engagement with the Hidalgo campaign, I was given several “bosses” to whom I was expected to submit. However, I was not given an organization chart, even after request, which clearly spelled out to whom I would report within the campaign. When I finally did receive an organizational chart, I was not recognized on that chart. So, it was never adequately spelled out who was my boss and to whom I could raise my concerns, which were never addressed. Instead, I was asked to meet with one person after another all of whom seemed to think I was “wrong to raise questions” and not follow orders, even orders to slander other candidates. I attempted to navigate according to professional standard business practices to properly inform and réconcilie grievances while continuing to fulfill my agreed terms of the contract. As a last resort for resolution, I personally handed a typed letter to Lina Hidalgo at one of her fund-raising events, at the home of Gene Wu (see attached document) after several failed attempts to get the candidate to speak to me and other staff directly. She never responded.
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Contact Blackballing: As part of the termination letter, the campaign has asked me to refrain from disparaging the campaign and Lina Hidalgo in public. But prior to termination, individuals that are connected with the campaign have committed acts of defamation to my name and character. According to the Pre-your Separation and General Release Agreement letter which states in (Section d.): “will not engage in any conduct that disparages you publicly”, presumably because the campaign might be adversely affected, showed the campaign is aware that making unfounded accusations is indeed problematic. Yet, the campaign has already engaged in damaging my reputation and chances of gainful employment in the short term on any other campaign. I can provide names of individuals who have made me aware of disparaging “talk” about me inside of the campaign if needed.
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Request for Contract fulfillment: As a result of all the antics of the Hidalgo re-election campaign and their misuse and mistreatment of me, I request full pay-out to me, for the full compensation agreed upon, in my employment contract with the said campaign. I have looked and found that other opportunities have dried-up for paid work on other campaigns mentioned earlier. The pay-out of my contract will compensate me for having missed careeradvancing opportunities (due to no fault of my own). Without ever hearing me out, the campaign and Lina Hidalgo treated me poorly and terminated my contract. It is therefore my option to go to the media, social media, and otherwise, to air my grievances. I will not tell a lie, but I can if I must clear my name and reputation from the damages done by the campaign staff. I respectfully request what is minimally required to reconcile this matter, which is full payment of the contract as agreed through November 8th, 2022. It is my hope that you also agree to this private reconciliation agreement, which would be optimal for both parties going forward.
I would like you to know that I have sought legal counsel on this matter.