Help Me Standing Up Against Terra!

My name is Emily Riehle; I worked at Terra State Community College from January 2018 until July 10, 2024. I was terminated on July 10, 2024, for teaching a ServSafe class at the Ritz Carlton in Cleveland on July 9, 2024, under my own LLC and on my own time. During my time at Terra, I dedicated countless hours to fostering community relationships and enhancing workforce and community education programs.

I believe my termination was unlawful, and the situation only worsened from there. Terra State contested my unemployment benefits at every step. The director of HR even falsely claimed during a recent unemployment hearing that I "no-called, no-showed" on July 11 and 12, which is untrue; I was fired on July 10, and I have a recording of my termination. Additionally, an HR generalist followed me to my office to ensure I was clearing out my desk.

As a result of my termination, I could only collect unemployment benefits five times, totaling $4,242. I exhausted my entire savings during that period, and it took me seven months to find full-time employment. Now, I have to repay all of my unemployment benefits due to the falsehoods propagated by Terra State. I am preparing to file an appeal with the common pleas court and hire an attorney to fight for what I believe is owed.

Terra State is a toxic work environment, with 25 or more employees leaving voluntarily or being terminated since January 2024. I want Terra to understand that even though I may not be a big player in the game, I am determined to stand up for what is right.