Recently, a reader sent me a message to warn me to be careful because Breaking Free can be a vindictive organization. Don't I, and so many others who have been involved with Breaking Free know it. At this time it's not wise for me to keep this blog under my real name. As you will see, there is very little that Vednita Carter and some Breaking Free staff won't do to keep word from getting out about the organization's unethical and damaging practices.
In the spring of 2015 a group of former Breaking Free staff, board members, volunteers and organizational partners wrote a letter to some of Breaking Free's funders and other partners. The letter accused Breaking Free of numerous forms of wrongdoing. I will post the entire letter at some point in the future but at this point I only want to excerpt the section of the letter that discusses the retaliation against those who speak out against Breaking Free face.
I was not involved in the writing of the 2015 letter at any point but I received a copy of it from a trusted source within Breaking Free shortly after it was released. I have redacted the names of those who were not accused of any major wrongdoing in the letter.
At this point, it is important to note Breaking Free has demonstrated a pattern of retaliation towards those who leave, speak out against, or are otherwise deemed to be “disloyal” towards the organization. For example:
- Vednita Carter reported to a former staff member that she deliberately provided a negative reference to a potential employer regarding former Director of Programs, (REDACTED C), who resigned from Breaking Free as a result of her concerns about the treatment of clients and staff. Several former staff reported that (REDACTED C)’s work ethic and professional reputation were repeatedly and openly disparaged by Ms. Carter and Joy Friedman after Ms. (REDACTED C) left.
- Breaking Free filed false allegations of fraud against (REDACTED D), former Youth Program Manager, after she testified regarding the hostile work environment (due to harassment by Joy Friedman about an assault Ms. (REDACTED D) suffered in the past, as well as feeling pressured by Ms. Carter to violate laws and regulations) at Breaking Free during her unemployment insurance hearing. (REDACTED D) was successful in her hostile work environment claim, as well as in overcoming the allegations of fraud.
- Breaking Free filed false allegations of fraud against (REDACTED B), former Legal Liaison and Women’s Program Director, after (REDACTED B) testified regarding the hostile work environment during Ms. (REDACTED D)’s unemployment insurance hearing. Ms. (REDACTED B) was successful in overcoming those allegations.
- Ms. (REDACTED B) received a Facebook message from current Breaking Free staff member, Sheila Rinehart (also Vednita Carter’s niece) warning Ms. (REDACTED B) to “keep her mouth shut,” about Breaking Free. Ms. (REDACTED B) experienced fear and anxiety as a result of that message.
- (REDACTED A), former HR Manager and client of Breaking Free, was told she now owes Breaking Free $1430 in back rent for her time in the Breaking Free permanent housing program after she was interviewed by (REDACTED MEDIA SOURCE) as a whistleblower against Breaking Free. Initially, after Ms. (REDACTED A)’s employment at Breaking Free ended, Ms. Carter was recorded as stating that Ms. (REDACTED A) would pay rent according to her income, per the terms of the HUD-funded program. However, after Ms. (REDACTED A)’s interview, she was told to pay the $1430 or leave. The building is HUD-funded, and Ms. (REDACTED A)’s employment status a Breaking Free has no bearing on her status as alumni or permanent housing resident.
- The night Ms. (REDACTED A)’s interview aired, a Breaking Free intern attempted to break down Ms. (REDACTED A)’s apartment door and threatened to beat her with a shovel. There were also two individuals yelling harassment outside Ms. (REDACTED A)’s window. Ms. (REDACTED A) feared for her safety and called the police. When the police responded, Ms. (REDACTED A) was afraid to leave her apartment. (REDACTED E), the current Breaking Free Housing Director, informed police that Ms. (REDACTED A) made the call because she was “just mad about losing her housing.”
- Ms. (REDACTED A) reported to former staff members who were helping her that she was afraid to talk on the phone because she was afraid of Breaking Free staff overhearing her and retaliating. At the time, Joy Friedman was standing outside her apartment window apparently listening to Ms. (REDACTED A) speaking.
- During an all-staff meeting, after several employees quit Breaking Free at once, Vednita Carter told current staff they were not to have contact with former employees, that these employees were “bad apples,” and that she would find out and get rid of any other employees considered to be “bad apples.” Several staff reported feeling like Ms. Carter was threatening them and trying to control who they had contact with outside of work.
- Several other former staff and partners - whether they were forthright about their reasons for leaving, or they provided “neutral” reasons to avoid conflict - have received varying degrees of harassment, including disparaging emails from Vednita Carter, threats by Breaking Free to sue them, accusations of racism, and general knowingly false statements about their work ethic and professional reputations.
Now you understand why I'm less than eager to write this blog using my real name.
Thank you, anonymous person. I'm being as careful as I can. I don't want to go through what you had to for speaking out.
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