Taking Accountability Into Your Own Hands: An Interview With Nicole Moore
Name: Nicole Moore
Pronouns: (her/she)
Website: thehotness.com
Twitter, Instagram & TikTok: @thehotnessgrrrl
One of your favorite nonprofits that everyone should give to: G.L.I.T.S.
Anything else? Take a nap when you feel tired!
ReproJobs: You recently filed a lawsuit against PPFA for workplace discrimination and wrongful termination. That is a lot to go through, not to mention deciding to take legal action. Tell us about how you came to the decision to file a lawsuit. How did you prepare, emotionally, mentally, etc?
Nicole Moore: The decision to file a lawsuit wasn’t an easy one. I’ve been bold enough in the past to rally in front of SCOTUS and I’ve protested in NYC for Black Lives Matter, but filing a lawsuit for discrimination requires more than boldness. It requires courage.
There's something about the sting of being wronged and harmed that was hard for me to shake. I had written a rebuttal to my [employer’s] Final Warning, and in that rebuttal, I clearly articulated why I shouldn’t have been placed on a warning in the first place and that I was being punished for speaking out about racism in the workplace. Naively, I didn’t think my rebuttal would end in termination. I just had to do something for my peace of mind so I sent my rebuttal with the supporting documentation to maybe six or seven people– friends I had who were either lawyers, HR execs, or DEI specialists and they all said that this sounded very much like retaliation and wrongful termination and that I should maybe talk to a labor lawyer. A good friend recommended Crumiller PC and they thought I had a strong case, which was a relief and also validating.
I don’t know if you can really emotionally and mentally “prepare” for the journey of filing a lawsuit, never mind a suit against a behemoth like Planned Parenthood. After I was fired, I was really shocked and hurt, especially because the woman I reported to never expressed any problems with my work performance. Thankfully, I felt insulated by a strong, knowledgeable, and supportive circle of family and close friends who had my best interests at heart.
I’m glad I had the presence of mind to gather documentation before I was terminated because I knew the first thing they would probably do would be to call me a liar, so that has prepared and powered me massively. And I’m really glad that I was so loved by so many people at Planned Parenthood because the support has been unbelievable. The number of people coming forth saying, “That happened to me, too” or “We have your back”—that’s what is sustaining me now because it makes it difficult for Planned Parenthood to turn around and try to falsely portray me as an Angry Black Woman who caused chaos.
ReproJobs: So many people in repro experience toxic workplaces, whether it's racism, transphobia, ageism, homophobia, bullying, favoritism, – you name it, we've heard about it. Folks often email us asking how much they should fight for change at their workplaces vs when they should know that it's not worth it and leave. We read through your complaint and it sounds like you tried so many times to make change internally at PPFA, and it just wasn't happening. In fact, you were being penalized again and again for trying to make the organization better. What advice would you give to folks who are going through something similar?
Nicole Moore: Knowing when to hold and when to fold is a personal decision. I don’t think I can ever tell anyone when to leave an org or when to stand up. It’s different for everyone. To be completely transparent, if I wasn’t fired, I’d still be there because the community partnerships I forged and many of the colleagues I worked with were amazing, in spite of the obstacles thrown at me.
Going to the ER was a real wake-up call for me and I don’t think anyone should be forced to work in an environment that’s so hostile that it starts to negatively affect their health. So I would have to say, know your body and let the love of yourself be your guide. Black women, especially, have been the mules of this world and the workforce and I strongly believe our ancestors want more from us than to carry the same burden they did.
If you feel confident and courageous enough to speak up and speak out against bias, inequity, and racism, please do so!!! There is strength in numbers and having colleagues who spoke out and backed me up gave me the hope, strength, and validation I needed to go on another day.
ReproJobs: Over the last week, many media outlets have covered your lawsuit - the NYT, NPR, Reuters, CNN, and the Daily Beast, just to name a few. How did it feel to see the press cover your lawsuit?
Nicole Moore: I’m totally blown away by the media’s interest in my lawsuit. I think the media is interested because racism at Planned Parenthood has been an open secret for a long time and finally there’s a face they can tie to this story of discrimination. The intersection of racism and retaliation at organizations that are well known for social good is a complicated and ugly issue that is even bigger than Planned Parenthood. News about racism at Fortune 500 companies is more prevalent and maybe even expected, but we rarely talk about social justice and advocacy orgs that overwork and treat their staff like crap.
ReproJobs: For other repro workers considering filing a lawsuit, whether it's related to racism in the workplace, wrongful termination, or something else – what advice would you offer?
Nicole Moore: I would advise them to be gentle with themselves and to trust their gut. Gather as much documentation as possible to support your claim. Find attorneys who aren't in it just for the money, but are also motivated by justice and are driven by changing narratives around the equitable treatment of all workers.
ReproJobs: What do you wish you'd known before starting this process?
Nicole Moore: I wish I knew how absolutely long the process was going to be when I first started this journey. Not that it would’ve changed my mind about suing, but I would’ve been better prepared mentally speaking and my expectations would have been more reasonable. I was preparing for a sprint when in fact this process is more like a marathon. Now that we have filed it could take months if not years before the lawsuit is resolved.
ReproJobs: It's no secret that many large movement organizations like PPFA often protect racist managers and leaders instead of holding them accountable for their actions, all the while making public statements about DEI processes and anti-racism. What do you think it will take to interrupt this cycle?
Nicole Moore: It will take a number of things. It will take more people coming forward, especially senior staffers to say they also experienced this or that they have observed this. It will take the boards of these large organizations to be more proactive and outspoken and hold these executives that they hire accountable.
It will take white women leaders in the organization and the movement at large to amplify this story and all stories of discrimination and retaliation. They need to say they stand with Black women and they stand with me and that they will not tolerate anti-Black racism and retaliation at Planned Parenthood or any other org accused of racism.
It will take workers being unionized so they feel comfortable speaking out against bullying, tokenizing, and inequity. It will take workers coming forward even if they’re not protected by a union to speak their truth, because if we have to wait for unions to get fair contracts from the same people who are using tools of white supremacy to dominate their staff, frankly, it may be too late.
It will take donors rerouting their money to organizations who are doing the radical work of centering Black women, supporting unions, and not harming Black and Latine people on all levels, especially those on the lowest rungs of power.
DEI has become more of a spectacle than anything. Some DEI execs read Emergent Strategy, hire a handful of Black or Latine people to fill top executive roles (most of them light skinned or white presenting), create a “racial harm” policy using words like “intersectional” and “reckoning,” and just like that will declare that they’ve succeeded in creating an equitable and accessible place for Black folk. That’s not it! It takes an ongoing commitment to working with outside experts as well as listening to your employees to make sure everyone feels safe, respected, and heard. So hiring a reputable company to not only conduct racial equity surveys, but to also facilitate and lead the anti-racist culture change work independently would be a good place to start, because in-house DEI and HR execs are often only there to protect the organization and senior leadership, and that’s not just at Planned Parenthood.
ReproJobs: In the midst of all of this, what's keeping you going? How can people show up and support you?
Nicole Moore: The love and support of family, friends, former colleagues, current Planned Parenthood staffers, and strangers are keeping me up. I’ve been getting DMs, comments, calls, and texts from people every day saying they support me, they believe me, and they hope I win. That feels good. It feels damn good actually! My experience at PP traumatized me and it’s weird to say, but trust when I tell you, I feel like I have PTSD. I’m scared to even be in an official work environment now. There’s this fear of being minimized, of having to fight just to do my job without denying my dignity, or worst, enduring the terror of being antagonized just for a check. Feeling like I have somehow failed, even with the knowledge that I’ve been harmed, is hard to shake. It’s wreaking havoc on my self-confidence like you wouldn’t believe. So this moment of having people show up and say I believe you and I support you is affirming. Also, therapy is key.
My legal team keeps me up. They have a deep understanding of the repro space, feminism, and of course, justice and know how to connect the dots in an impactful way.
On a personal note, music keeps me going. For the past month, I’ve been listening to Nina Simone, Tobe Nwigwe, Bob Marley, Tems, and Beyoncé to keep me amped and calm, focused, and free. Lastly, I’m a Black feminist and stand on the shoulders of Black feminists before me and so their writings keep me powered up. One of my fave feminist thinkers, Audre Lorde famously said: “I have a duty to speak the truth as I see it and share not just my triumphs, not just the things that felt good, but the pain. The intense, often unmitigated pain. It is important to share how I know survival is survival and not just a walk through the rain.” It’s these words that keep me going and I hope will inspire people to show up and not give up.