A former San Francisco District Attorney’s Office employee testified Wednesday that a co-worker directed a racial slur at her in the workplace and that the office’s human resources director did not document her complaint. Twanda Bailey also described what she said was later harassment by the HR director, allegations the city will contest as the case proceeds to trial. Bailey was the first witness in her lawsuit against the office. She worked there for 14 years, leaving in late 2015. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Rebekah Evenson is presiding in San Francisco after the city’s judges recused themselves. Bailey testified that in January 2015, while the office was led by George Gascón, she had reported a mouse infestation to HR. On Jan. 22, she said, former supervisor and co-worker Saras Larkin pointed out a mouse near Bailey’s desk. After Bailey jumped from her chair, Larkin made a remark containing a racial slur, Bailey testified. Bailey said she initially did not report the incident to HR because she believed HR director Evette Taylor-Monachino was friends with Larkin and feared retaliation. A supervisor later told Bailey they would report the incident, she said. About three months later, Bailey went to HR seeking a copy of the report and was told there was no report or formal complaint. Bailey testified that Taylor-Monachino warned her that discussing the slur with colleagues could create a “hostile work environment” for Bailey. “I felt that it was wrong that they didn’t do an investigation,” Bailey said. “It made me feel that I had to accept” the abuse. Bailey said her summer 2015 performance review included numerous negative allegations that had not previously been raised with her. She appealed the review and filed a formal complaint against Taylor-Monachino in August. Taylor-Monachino was reassigned to other duties two months later, according to Bailey’s testimony. Bailey also described an encounter in a parking lot, saying Taylor-Monachino pulled up beside her car, lowered her window and pointed at her in a way Bailey understood as a threat. Bailey filed suit in December 2015. The case was later dismissed on appeal by the city attorney’s office. The California Supreme Court revived the case in 2024, ruling that a single use of the slur by a co-worker could be sufficient for Bailey’s claim to proceed. The court emphasized the particular harm carried by the epithet; its decision allowed the lawsuit to move forward but did not decide whether the allegations are true. Bailey, who said she had previously received strong performance evaluations and worked in public service roles including at San Quentin State Prison and the San Francisco Unified School District, testified that the experience affected her ability to work. She said she lasted only a week at a San Francisco Department of Public Health job in 2018 because she had trouble concentrating and feared supervisors. The trial is limited to 30 hours of testimony and argument for each side and is expected to finish in less than two weeks. The jury will hear evidence before deciding the claims.