My name is Alberto Newman.
My name is Alberto Newman. I'm a 32-year-old Mexican homosexual male. The SF Eagle is not merely my place of employment. It is where I built my community and held my partner’s memorial. Today, I no longer feel safe going there alone due to one manager’s intention that I never return.
Recently, my presence was unjustly cited as the reason for not reinstating me from a medical leave mutually agreed upon. This decision concerned a collaborative position separate from my formal employment. It quickly escalated into possible illegal actions intended to exclude me entirely, despite my active employment status. For reasons unrelated to my job performance but concerning his mental health.
That manager, Randy Maupin, a 50-year-old white male, has unilaterally prevented my return to work, overstepping his administrative access at the Bar without oversight or due process. He continues ignoring repeated inquiries regarding my absence from the owner, staff, and patrons from his middle management position.
Every attempt I've made to contact the Bar's owner has gone unanswered. The owner's last message specifically referenced Randy: "He is being stupid now and he is out of control."
I received a suspicious email from the owner’s official account falsely stating I was "not hired," directly contradicting official payroll records. I suspect he intended to convey that I was "fired," but those terms are not interchangeable, creating a documented contradiction with significant legal implications for the SF Eagle Bar.
I've been without shifts or income for over six months, forced to rely on life insurance funds secured after my partner’s death, my employment status remaining active yet unable to collect unemployment. Randy Maupin is fully aware that the SF Eagle Bar is my sole source of income, even as he holds positions at multiple venues throughout San Francisco—particularly as we enter Pride Month.
I'm not the first person this manager has undermined and tormented, using his mental health narrative as the justification. I’m seeking external accountability because the pattern is clear and the impact is real—on our livelihood, our mental health, and our future. This unchecked behavior stunts the dignity of every worker in his space, and every space where he works.
Accepting a settlement would validate his intentions of my silence and exclusion forever. So while asking for help, I am also speaking for the help. This story is not just mine to carry, nor is it just mine to end.
— Alberto Newman
Go to Part 1 of a 7-part account of what happened to me — and to others who were directly affected.
