The Story They Didn’t Want Told
Every post is a piece of the puzzle, how a “supportive” workplace unraveled into gaslighting, retaliation, and the fight that followed. I’m not naming names. I’m naming patterns.
The Investigation Gets Real: My Official Interview with UALD
I wasn’t sure what to expect once I submitted my statement and the rebuttal from my former employer came through. Weeks went by. Then more. And still, silence.
I started to wonder if anything was actually happening behind the scenes. But then the email finally arrived: it was time to schedule my official interview with the investigator.
I picked 6:00 p.m, a quiet time where I knew I could speak freely without distractions.
And yet, on the day of the interview, I got a notification at 12:25 p.m. saying my meeting would begin in 5 minutes. My stomach dropped.
I triple-checked everything. I knew I chose 6. Was this a glitch? A miscommunication? Or something else entirely? I’ll never really know.
All I knew in that moment was that I had 5 minutes to pull myself together and log on.
Thankfully, I did.
The investigator turned out to be someone I recognized from mediation. He was professional and respectful, but he also smiled occasionally, which helped ease some of the nerves.
What caught me off guard was how genuinely engaged he seemed.
He wasn’t just going through the motions, he actually asked questions that made me feel like he was trying to understand the full picture. At one point, I mentioned a doctor’s note that HR had asked for after I missed two weeks of work. I hadn’t thought much of it, but he immediately said it could be a critical piece of the case and asked me to forward it.
It was the first time I felt like this investigation might actually matter.
Staying focused was tough, especially with how closely tied my story is to FMLA issues. But I did my best to stick to the discrimination and retaliation, even though the overlap is impossible to ignore.
Now, it’s their turn.
The next step is Blackstone’s interview. I was told it may involve HR, my former supervisor, or anyone else I referenced in my complaint. It’s out of my hands for now.
Still, based on everything I’ve read, most cases in Utah don’t make it to this point. The fact that mine has? That says something.
It says they’re seeing red flags. It says I’m not just some disgruntled employee. It says this story is still unfolding, and they don’t get to close the book just yet.