I will try to keep this short (if I can). I worked at a school for 10 years and recently resigned to take another job. The founders of this school are professors at a local university and very well-known authors; in addition to being their employee, I was also a co-author on multiple publications with them. Two of the professors sit on my dissertation committee for my PhD (I am currently ABD).
In the time I was at their school it changed drastically (and not in a good way). Leadership positions were given to family members and friends rather than the most qualified people, and there were no female admin to speak of (just one, and she was treated terribly). I am a female, btw. There were constant allegations of misconduct (sexual harassment, etc., poor management practices, grade fraud) and it became really hard to stay there, but I stuck around, at first due to loyalty and then later because I wasn't sure how I'd be able to keep going on my PhD if I left. I was becoming more and more unhappy and last year had a real breaking point. I applied to a different position early last year and was “caught” and treated like I did some horrific thing (I didn't get the job and felt like I was seen as a traitor all year).
The last straw was when one of the founders (who essentially runs the school) refused to let me work from home for 2 days while I was having a miscarriage (I asked to WFH because staff share bathrooms with students….another issue. I also had no more sick days left due to 2 other miscarriages that year and was worried I'd need a D&C, so I was trying to save days). When I tried to see if I could get those days “reimbursed” via bereavement, I was told no. This was exactly during when Roe V. Wade was being overturned and my miscarrying fetus was technically considered a person (aka: immediate family). I should have quit then. I didn't, and finished the year, incredibly angry and jaded.
Over the summer I realized, after some time away, that I would not be able to return to this place–the mental and emotional costs were too high after years of being unhappy there. Also, about 12 other people had quit at this point. I found an opening at another school, sent them my CV and was offered a better paying and upgraded position within 2 days. When I called the main founder to talk to him about this, he told me he had already heard (he's like a mafia don) and that there wasn't anything to say. I still asked to speak with him and we had what seemed to be a very good call. He congratulated me and I thanked him for the experience and said I was still looking forward to staying connected via my Phd program and working on that. He agreed. I was so relieved.
Well, that seemed too easy because it was. Since that call I've been denied a stipend I earned for the year I worked at that school and dropped as a consultant from the publishing company we both coauthored texts at (even though I am still on their website and am currently writing a manuscript for them). I found secondhand when a client tried to book me and was told (before me) that I no longer work there. That was an awkward call for sure. I feel like I should expect for my PhD to be in jeopardy next.
Everyone I have told this story to says I need a lawyer, but what kind? And how do I even prove any of this when it has all been indirect retaliation?