This Is Gonna Be A Whirlwind Of A Post. I Was Terminated From My Job, But I Want To Know If This Is An Appropriate Follow Up To Hr.

Location: California

Hi all, this feels like a whirlwind, so I'm just gonna get into it.

- On September 10th, I made an ironic/satirical comment about Charlie Kirk online (this was on my lunch break while off company property)

- an individual saw my comment and contacted my work, which prompted them to conduct an investigation.

- they recognized my comment as satirical and gave me a written warning about company values instead of letting me go.

- I made an off-hand remark to a co-worker (NOT during work hours or on company property) about how I was thinking about calling this individual to clarify what I had actually meant. They advised me not to, so I didn't.

- a twisted game of telephone ensues where my co-worker told my manager, who told a higher-up that I HAD called this person.

- the higher-up calls me and asks if I did, and I said no.

- the next few days, I fully intended to drop the whole thing, but my co-worker brought up that they had told my manager and apologized. I made an off-hand remark (out of worry, not malice or anger) to them that they were gonna "get me fired." I said it in a sarcastic "great, you got me fired" kind of way.

- the next week, my manager is acting cold and different toward me. I even asked him if everything was alright and he told me "don't worry about it."

-but sure enough, I got terminated yesterday due to the chain of events (with emphasis on my remark to my coworker about them "getting me fired."

Anyway, right now I believe that my openness to discuss thinking about calling the individual and my remark about "them getting me fired" came from a place of "blurred boundaries" in the workplace.

I understand that California is at "at-will" state, so I'm not looking to get re-instated or anything, I just want the record to show that I don't believe I was solely the problem.

So I'm thinking about sending a follow up email to my HR, but I want to know if there's any reason to send it.

Here is the email:

Hi HR,

I wanted to follow up from the other day. I fully understand and accept the company’s decision, but I’d like to provide some additional context regarding my termination; specifically around the interpersonal and leadership environment that I believe contributed to how the recent situation unfolded. I was surprised by the termination meeting that took place on October 3, 2025 and had trouble articulating what I fully would have liked to say. So this is to ensure the circumstances are accurately reflected in my file.

To clarify, I understand that the termination was related to the subsequent chain of events following my online comment on September 10th, and an off-hand comment I made to a coworker about them “getting me fired.” I take responsibility for that remark; it was said under stress and frustration, not with anger or malice.

However, I believe it’s relevant to note that my manager’s general conduct and communication style created an informal environment where discussing sensitive or informal topics felt acceptable. For example:

• He would frequently make inappropriate jokes about suicide (e.g., “I’m going to jump out the window”)
• Would regularly initiate political discussions during work hours (sometimes leading to overtime)
• Once used strong profanity toward me during a 1-on-1 meeting (and one more time later on, despite me telling him not to after the initial incident)
• Once berated a coworker for personal/religious beliefs in manifestation
• Once made an inappropriate joke about a political figure and a separate derogatory remark about religion (e.g., once saying to me that “Catholicism is the only true community-based religion,” while knowing that I’m not Catholic)

This environment often blurred boundaries around what was considered appropriate to discuss. I recognize that my own comment to a coworker was a mistake, but I hope this context helps explain how the situation developed.

I’m not requesting any specific action or reversal. I only ask that this information be noted in my file to reflect that my behavior was not malicious, but was influenced by the broader team culture.

If needed, there may be video or audio evidence of some of these examples from our team recordings in the ********** Dropbox Folder.

Thank you for your time and understanding.

I guess my question is, are there any legal ramifications or blowback that I can experience from sending this email?