Guest post: On Shultz v. Secretary of U.S. Air Force

We received this e-mail and were inspired by the message. With Catherine’s permission, we’re sharing it for others who may find it helpful. Catherine reflects on her lawsuit regarding harassment, being charged by the US Air Force for going AWOL in order to file her Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint, and the strength she finds to work toward a career helping other troops.

Protect Our Defenders:

My name is Catherine. I wanted to say thank you for all the support and outreach you have provided the countless amount of women and men who are survivors of MST. This has been my saving grace and “you’re not alone” go-to outreach when my lawsuit was becoming too much to bear.

This is a link to my legal brief in hopes it could help others feel their way through the legal system. I fought my long fight, and lost after six years of battling. Interestingly, the writer of this article about my lawsuit found that the day I filed a protected communication was the same day the Air Force stated my absence without leave. Of course, the two are inextricably linked, sadly–apparently in the Air Force you can be AWOL for walking across the hall to file an EEO complaint for sexual harassment. It is as if the rules to the chess game had been changed, without any of the pawns every knowing. This lawsuit began as an MEO complaint for sexual harassment. It was later pushed over to the civilian side, to EEO by the military commander, and amended to add reprisal.

I do wish I had reached out sooner to seek a second legal opinion on my course of action. Hindsight is always 20/20, after all. However, at the same time I believe that this information could help someone else. Of course, I would like nothing more than to push forward with this, but my lawyers inform me the next step would be the U.S.C. if I were to appeal the 11th Circuit’s decision. I have taken so many rakes over the metaphorical coals, that at this point, I would rather finish paying for my doctorate.

I have found strength through your site. I am proud to say that I am now a 2nd year doctoral student in Clinical Psychology. I want to be able to support any woman or man who has been a victim of MST, as a clinical psychologist and an MST survivor. My goal is to go back into the military as a psychologist in hopes to make change from within, by focusing on the mental health of our troops and by becoming an ally to any young woman who is faced with the belligerency of men who are wrought with the will to power.  Something I wish I had back in 2007 when my battle began.

Keep up the wonderful work!

Respectfully,
Catherine