LETTER OF RESIGNATION

August 4, 2003

Dear Mr. Gordon and Ms. Freebery: 

As you know, we are two of several executive staff assistants employed by New Castle County who work for the two of you.  In the first week of October 2002, we advised you that we had received subpoenas to appear before the Federal Grand Jury.  On October 9, 2002, as required by law, we appeared before the Federal Grand Jury and we testified truthfully. 

      Two days before our appearance before the Federal Grand Jury, on October 7, 2002, to intimidate us and to send a message about what would happen if we testified truthfully, we were transferred immediately to the public library, where we worked for three weeks.  While there shelving heavy books, we both sustained injuries working and we both as a consequence have had surgery for carpal tunnel as a result of those injuries.  Lynda is still recovering and wearing a soft cast.  Maria appears to be having good results from her surgery.   

     We next were reassigned the beginning of November 2002 (Lynda to the Wilmington Office and Maria to the Office of Human Resources, where we have remained).   

           We have been deprived of meaningful job duties.   

·          Lynda was surveilled and her phone calls were intercepted. 

·          The Chief Administrative Officer has spoken negatively about us at General Managers’ meetings.

·          We have been given the cold shoulder by co-workers. 

·          Maria was accused falsely of misappropriating County property. 

·          Devastating us emotionally, the Chief Administrative Officer falsely said we both killed our beloved father who had recently died. 

Resulting and continuing job stress has manifested itself in various other ways besides our surgery: 

·          We are under continuing medical care. 

·          We exhibit various symptoms of depression. 

·          We are unable to sleep. 

·          We are unable to concentrate. 

·          Lynda is taking Wellbutrin for depression. 

·          Lynda now has high blood pressure and is under medication. 

·          Maria had high blood pressure before all this, which was under control, but now it has skyrocketed; she continues to take medicines to re-control it. 

·          Maria is also suffering from depression and is taking Paxil and Lorazapam. 

·          Both of us have been prescribed sleeping pills. 

Just in mid-July, the continuing stress spiked Lynda’s blood pressure, and Maria is experiencing anxiety attacks.  Our doctors feel that our health is in danger and we should remove ourselves from the work place. 

As you both know, each of us desperately need our jobs to live.  Lynda is a widow living alone and Maria is single.  But our mental and physical health is precarious and we can hold on no longer.  After ten months we have reached the end of our rope. 

It is obvious that this deteriorating and worsening job environment has been deliberately caused by both of you as punishment because we testified truthfully before the Federal Grand Jury.  Your mistreatment is retaliation designed to hurt us for appearing before the Federal Grand Jury and to send a message to other loyal New Castle County workers, dependent on their jobs to survive in the world, that if they cooperate with the law they will be unmercifully crushed and injured.  So we feel we have no choice other than to quit our jobs to preserve our health, and to go to court to seek redress and justice and also clear our good names and reputations from the false accusations about us.  You have forced us to quit, but we will fight you in court for our pensions and other relief. 

Please have someone from the Office of Human Resources contact us in order to collect our personal belongings and for us to return keys, etc. 

Maria A. Rendina                                                                                 Lynda R. Maloney

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