Why I Picked This Back Up...

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People have asked why I would come back to this after everything—after rebuilding, after getting my footing again.

The honest answer is… I never really let it go.

Part of that was because I couldn’t. The impact on my life—personally and professionally—was real. You don’t just reset from something like that overnight.

But timing mattered too.

There were legal matters brought against me that I had to deal with first. I stayed focused on that process, and I came out the other side of it without anything sticking.

"Not Guilty. Case Dismissed." Twice. (With multiple warnings coming from the judge to her and her company-sponsored attorneys.)

Only after that was over could I come back to this the right way.

The moment that stayed with me happened on my final day in court.

Right before the judge found me not guilty and dismissed the case, Mamee Groves said—out loud, in open court, on the record—

“He is racist.”

There was no evidence presented in that proceeding to support that statement.

And then, minutes later, the case was dismissed.

That wasn’t the only thing said.

There were a number of statements made that, to me, went beyond the actual issues before the court. There were also attempts to bring in pieces of my past that didn’t seem connected to the matter at hand.

At times, I objected—and those objections were sustained.

I’m not a lawyer.

But even I understood when something didn’t belong.

What also matters—and what hasn’t been fully told—is how this started, from my perspective.

Long before any courtroom, there were actions that directly affected me and my reputation.

There were pictures of my operation sent to my superiors that, to my understanding via metadata verification, were taken before I even began working there. There were accusations made about me that I strongly dispute. There were interactions involving my staff that I viewed as inappropriate and overreaching.

And all of that played out over years. YEARS. But I kept my head down, was told "Jason, don't worry about her. You're doing great!"

During that time, I focused on my job. I was successful. I built relationships. I did what I was there to do.

So naturally, the question becomes—why?

That’s a question I intend to answer with what I show moving forward.

I’ve spent my entire life building who I am—personally and professionally.

I’m not perfect. Nobody is.

But I know what I am—and I know what I’m not.

So to have something like that said, in that setting, on the record… and just left there?

That’s not something I’m going to ignore.

I did try, for a while, to move on.

I focused on rebuilding. I put my energy into my business, into my life, into moving forward.

But that moment doesn’t just disappear.

What’s different now is that I’m not just speaking from memory.

There are things on the record.

And when those records—or relevant portions of them—are reviewed, they will provide a clearer picture of what actually took place.

Because from where I stand, the story that was told didn’t always line up the same way from one moment to the next.

And when that happens, people can draw their own conclusions.

This isn’t about going on a crusade.

It’s about not allowing something like that to stand unanswered.

No one gets to stand up in a courtroom, say something like that about me, and have it just sit there without response.

White Flag Warrior

I’m not here to fight for the sake of fighting.

But I’m not walking away from this either.

If you’re wondering why I picked this back up—It’s because I worked too hard to build my name to let it be defined like that.

And I’m going to answer it.