Manda

Imagine being hospitalized after nearly losing your life, only to find yourself in the custody of someone you once worked alongside. Despite my attorneys explicitly requesting that NO ONE from the Essex County Sheriff’s Department be assigned to me due to the obvious conflict of interest, guess who showed up? CHRISTINE RODRIGUEZ. Officer at the Essex County Sheriff’s Department. And what a memorable reunion it was. Rather than properly securing my personal belongings in a property bag, Christine decided the trash was a more appropriate destination. Her explanation? “You’re an inmate now.” Ah, yes. Nothing screams professionalism quite like reminding a critically injured, hospitalized person of their custody status while throwing away their belongings. Innocent until proven guilty? She doesn’t know what that means. But my personal favorite moment? When she threw away my rosary beads. I had to remind this former colleague that being in custody doesn’t mean surrendering my religious rights. Only THEN did she retrieve my rosary from the garbage. Imagine needing the person you’re supervising to explain basic rights to you. And here’s where the irony gets particularly entertaining. From what I understand Christine allegedly sleeps on shift, causing herself to get written up and has had numerous alleged encounters with garage doors while operating a state-issued van, perhaps she should consider a driving course or two - or a nursing home. Imagine having that kind of professional history and still finding the audacity to lecture someone else about their status. Christine, maybe it’s time to consider retirement, a nursing home, or perhaps a job at Kittens. Because if the highlight of your career is throwing away a hospitalized woman’s rosary beads and reminding her that she’s an inmate, I think you’ve made your contribution to public service. Some people leave behind a legacy of leadership. Others leave behind a very questionable understanding of professionalism. Here’s what I’ll say: A uniform doesn’t make you respectable. A title doesn’t make you competent. And having authority over someone at their most vulnerable doesn’t make you powerful. It simply reveals what kind of person you are when you think someone else has no power. Some people wear a badge with honor. Others apparently need a reminder that basic human decency isn’t optional. And Christine, if you’re reading this, I still have those rosary beads. Funny how the things you tried to throw away survived. So did I. 😘 Feel free to call the department with your concerns of why this woman still has a job there: +1 (978) 750-1950 because when my legal team made a formal complaint about this situation when it occurred, all they were told is “yeah Christine is a problem, she shouldn’t have been sent there.” I don’t not condone harassment towards any persons involved.