The Original Blog of the NISSAN Whistleblower 

My Letter to the ACLU

To ACLU of Tennessee
 
Please read and respond.  This matter could become high profile and help in promoting human rights in America. 
I never wanted to "go public" but it seems like it's time.
 
My name is Sharyn Bovat and I'm been fighting a "Good Ole Boy" Network at Nissan North America for over a year.  The Human resources leadership discriminated and while I was working with Carlos Tavares the new EVP from Japan I told him about the "Good Ole Boys" plan to fire the Californians 1st during the cutbacks in 2009 and that women were being replaced with their unqualified buddies.  I told him of discrimination and that got HR mad and they first offered me money to be silent and when I told them I would tell Tavares they bullied and harassed me.  They're intimidation techniques made me mad and I put up a fight and became a louder whistleblower.  
 
For over a year I exposed a lot & the NISSAN HR leadership wasted money given to the company from the taxpayers of Tennessee.  I knew this because I was a top relocation consultant for middle Tennessee for over 3 years.  I saw LOTS of unethical business transactions and recently found out some could be criminal.  
 
Initial investigation shows that some land deals were done before Nissan made the announcement to relocate to TN so I believe that is called "insider" information.  After talking to an "asset" investigator I learned that easily a "bunch" of these good ole boys could be taken down.  If the state did an "audit" of all real estate transactions starting 8 months prior to Nissans official announcement, then property could be seized that was obtained with insider information and then sold and the proceeds could go back to the community. 
 
Better yet: After looking into options on that matter "criminal" prosecution could be done to "prove that point" and that would only make my "civil" case stronger.   For the criminal I believe it will have to go to the Attorney Generals office.   FYI  some prominent community leaders could be implicated.  This could be "big".   We need to get that investigation started if the state chooses to go in that direction.   My fear is the state will worry it makes them look bad to have so many "corrupt" people when there trying to recruit businesses to move to TN.  In that case I would just proceed with the civil action.
 
Bottom Line: Nissans own statistics show that while the good ole boys were in charge 30% of the women in management lost there jobs.  In California Nissan had 20% women in middle management and above in 2007 after the movet they had 14% and 2009 when Mark Stout & Marlin Chapman were in charge only 10%  so that's actually a 50% decline in women just by moving to TN.   

HR leadership told me directly "they protect their own".  When I asked about the unqualified man in charge of relocation they said  the other manager a woman with an Hispanic name was "booted out for show".  I was told on the executive floor at Nissan North America "Skirts Don't Speak"
 
Anyway, during my battle against discrimination I did this on a website ironically called www.girlintheblackhonda.com   it's still active.   Last year I was called into meeting 4 times with top HR leadership at NISSAN 2 of those meeting on the executive floor.   They said I'd have a  job "if I could be a team player"  I would not do something unethical and  they made my life miserable and did not return my reference calls or help me with training like they had promised.

It's a LONG Whistleblower story but almost a year ago they had "rob" from legal harass me in front of the office and he had men in trucks just standing only there to scare me.   My hope was to fight this internally with NISSAN and eventfully go back to work but there is a statute of limitations and I must file a lawsuit. 
 
I want an attorney that will make it clear my lawsuit is about treating people with respect and that companies should not discriminate against women or ANYBODY.
 
Can you recommend a "high profile" lawyer that is willing to do some publicity for this cause.   It's important that the message get communicated.       
 
Thank you very much
 
Sharyn Bovat
615-415-6675
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