[Rehired!] - NLG Fires Xavier for Stop Cop City Work

On 07/22/25, NLG and the staff's workers union signed an agreement reinstating Xavier, withdrawing all disciplinary processes, and ending the grievance process. This GoFundMe will be deleted on 08/05/25. For additional information, please read the Updates!

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Xavier T. de Janon is a queer organizer, community member, and attorney who represents political defendants and plaintiffs across the South. He is a first-generation lawyer and first-generation Ecuadorian immigrant. He believes in a world without police, prisons, and borders.

Beginning in December 2023, Xavier was the National Lawyers Guild’s (NLG) Director of Mass Defense, providing national support to people dealing with state repression, while remaining directly active in social movements. When he was in Atlanta representing one of the Stop Cop City 61, management at the NLG were busy finding a way to fire him. This happened after months of worker suppression and union-busting from NLG's President, Ría Thompson-Washington, and Executive Director, Joelle Lingat.

On Friday May 16, NLG fired him as part of its union-busting campaign, despite NLG’s Workers Union’s warning that Xavier’s termination would violate his rights. In exchange for his silence, NLG offered an unjust severance. He will not accept it.

Xavier supports dozens of people every day, including his mom, who just moved to the U.S. from Ecuador and depends on Xavier for her medical and personal expenses. Help him and his family through this time!

About Xavier:

Xavier has represented poor criminal defendants in state courts and non-U.S. citizens in immigration court; stood up with George Floyd protesters; advocated in the courts and streets with people fighting against genocide and Stop Cop City; and given crucial advice to hundreds of freedom fighters across the U.S. In the summer of 2023, NLG hired him to provide support to people facing bogus Domestic Terrorism charges in Atlanta. After helping build legal infrastructures for months, he applied and was hired to be NLG’s Director of Mass Defense.

As Director of Mass Defense, Xavier helped launch into the public mind the national problem of Cop Cities, massive and militarized police training compounds popping up across the country. He generated dozens of original legal guides for organizers and activists. He provided legal support to Free Palestine encampment participants all over the country. He strengthened NLG’s Legal Observer Program at a national level. He reorganized NLG’s Mass Defense Program. All while continuing to be in the legal fight against the unprecedented Stop Cop City RICO in Atlanta.

What Happened?

For full context on NLG management’s anti-worker attacks, read the full letter from staff to NLG leadership: https://drive.proton.me/urls/DCMEMPE1A0#6jTm1yheGiUE

Through months of union-busting, Xavier remained true to his values and stood up against management’s injustice. This made him the target of his repressive bosses. His co-workers supported his attempts to push back at management, which kept misrepresenting him as a “bad worker” to NLG leadership. Despite all of this, he continued doing his excellent work in 2025, such as organizing resources for immigrant advocates, releasing timely political positions, and providing daily support to anti-fascist activists across the country.

In March, he attended a public 8:00 a.m. meeting in Charlotte, NC, where Central Piedmont Community College wants to build a Cop City over a swath of trees. The community college unlawfully kicked people out of the morning meeting, so, in April, a lawsuit was filed by the Southern Coalition for Social Justice (SCSJ), which Xavier proudly joined as a plaintiff.

On Monday May 12, Joelle and Ría suddenly sent Xavier a threat of immediate termination based on bogus claims related to the March meeting. They demanded that he sign an expansive “Performance Improvement Plan” (PIP) by Thursday or he’d be immediately fired. He had never received a written negative comment on his performance. In reality, NLG management had already paid employer-side law firm Outside Legal Counsel to figure out how to quickly get rid of Xavier.

The Union filed a grievance against NLG and supported Xavier’s decision to not sign the PIP. Joelle and Ría ignored the Union and Xavier’s rights, and they fired Xavier on the evening of Friday May 16.

How Can You Help?