Jennifer Trudeau's No Mask Legal Fund
Donation protected
Please help fund our legal fees!! We are taking the fight on with the City of Charleston, and may escalate from there. See the attached legal docs, and help fund our fight!!
My children and I were accosted by the Charleston Livability department, while shopping as we normally do inside Target. Target's policy allows me to shop mask free, given my medical condition, and Charleston's policy also allows me to be exempt from their ordinance. That did not stop these unsworn city employees from threatening us in front of everyone inside Target. I explained multiple times that I was exempt, per their own ordinance that they were attempting to enforce. And these aggressive men threatened us as if we were common criminals, and said they would "See us outside with the cops", to me and my traumatized children. The manager at Target explained to me that these men just showed up. No one called them from the store.
The incident was so troubling for my daughter that she still asks me if "The man in the black masks knows where we are going to be", and will he come take us to jail? Recently I had a very nice encounter with a county sheriff, and my poor child thought he was going to take us away. The officer couldn't have been nicer to us, but she cannot let it go.
I was advised to speak to several people: The police. A town councilman. The manager of the Livability department. And a state rep. I have spoken to them all.
The police: The livability are not sworn officers, and have no right to accost moms who are shopping for groceries who have medical exemptions. This is not right, do not stand for this, complain.
Town Council Rep: This is wrong, this is not how this is supposed to be enforced. I will bring this issue up at town council, and will personally speak to Dan Riccio.
Dan Riccio, head of livability: Screamed at me on the phone, threatened me again, told me they pulled the security footage and "They saw what I did". Whatever that meant. Told me I would get a mailed ticket, and, "If I actually had a medical condition, I could prove it in court." Hung up in my face after screaming and threatening me.
SC State Rep: Spoke to the Governor who agreed it's pretty bad. Home Rule is messing us up. We should sue.
So we are looking at suing. I have hired a great lawyer who addressed the city of Charleston's town council, and the livability department. We have also submitted a FOIA request and are waiting on that to come back. Charleston's corporate attorney responded and they said, basically, they investigated what they did, and they found they did nothing wrong. Please let them know if we have any other questions, and thanks for playing.
This is not okay, and I cannot stand for this. It seems that the ADA and HIPAA laws are no longer applicable in this country, and people can harass and discriminate against others at will. Charleston's own city ordinance makes exception for people with medical conditions preventing them from wearing coverings on their face, and the city isn't following it's own provisions. The only recourse left is to lawyer up. Every dollar donated to this fund will go to fight this tyranny. My team is very passionate about the issue and very serious about representing this case to win. And it will not be cheap. It will be an uphill battle, and my neck is stuck right out on the public chopping block.
If they will come for me, they will come for you, and in front of your terrified children.
The fight is on, and I thank you so very much for your support in this epic battle. Small donations of $10-$20 add up fast. I have received an outpouring of support, and now I need you more than ever. Thank you for fighting with me.
My children and I were accosted by the Charleston Livability department, while shopping as we normally do inside Target. Target's policy allows me to shop mask free, given my medical condition, and Charleston's policy also allows me to be exempt from their ordinance. That did not stop these unsworn city employees from threatening us in front of everyone inside Target. I explained multiple times that I was exempt, per their own ordinance that they were attempting to enforce. And these aggressive men threatened us as if we were common criminals, and said they would "See us outside with the cops", to me and my traumatized children. The manager at Target explained to me that these men just showed up. No one called them from the store.
The incident was so troubling for my daughter that she still asks me if "The man in the black masks knows where we are going to be", and will he come take us to jail? Recently I had a very nice encounter with a county sheriff, and my poor child thought he was going to take us away. The officer couldn't have been nicer to us, but she cannot let it go.
I was advised to speak to several people: The police. A town councilman. The manager of the Livability department. And a state rep. I have spoken to them all.
The police: The livability are not sworn officers, and have no right to accost moms who are shopping for groceries who have medical exemptions. This is not right, do not stand for this, complain.
Town Council Rep: This is wrong, this is not how this is supposed to be enforced. I will bring this issue up at town council, and will personally speak to Dan Riccio.
Dan Riccio, head of livability: Screamed at me on the phone, threatened me again, told me they pulled the security footage and "They saw what I did". Whatever that meant. Told me I would get a mailed ticket, and, "If I actually had a medical condition, I could prove it in court." Hung up in my face after screaming and threatening me.
SC State Rep: Spoke to the Governor who agreed it's pretty bad. Home Rule is messing us up. We should sue.
So we are looking at suing. I have hired a great lawyer who addressed the city of Charleston's town council, and the livability department. We have also submitted a FOIA request and are waiting on that to come back. Charleston's corporate attorney responded and they said, basically, they investigated what they did, and they found they did nothing wrong. Please let them know if we have any other questions, and thanks for playing.
This is not okay, and I cannot stand for this. It seems that the ADA and HIPAA laws are no longer applicable in this country, and people can harass and discriminate against others at will. Charleston's own city ordinance makes exception for people with medical conditions preventing them from wearing coverings on their face, and the city isn't following it's own provisions. The only recourse left is to lawyer up. Every dollar donated to this fund will go to fight this tyranny. My team is very passionate about the issue and very serious about representing this case to win. And it will not be cheap. It will be an uphill battle, and my neck is stuck right out on the public chopping block.
If they will come for me, they will come for you, and in front of your terrified children.
The fight is on, and I thank you so very much for your support in this epic battle. Small donations of $10-$20 add up fast. I have received an outpouring of support, and now I need you more than ever. Thank you for fighting with me.
Organizer
Jennifer Trudeau
Organizer
Charleston, SC
