My name is Cristina Ramirez. I am a mother of four beautiful boys in a small Wisconsin town. I’m a wife, a daughter, a sister, and a friend.

 I’m also being sued by a man accused of drugging and/or sexually assaulting multiple women over many years in our community.

 You see, this guy managed a bar in town. A few years ago, several women came forward saying that he had drugged or sexually assaulted them. Local police said they had been investigating this guy since 2008 when other women made similar claims. Local news has covered this story extensively. In November 2016, four women told our local news station they were drugged or assaulted by this man.

 Unfortunately, despite multiple women claiming they were drugged or assaulted by him, no criminal charges have ever been filed.

 Many people are upset this guy hasn’t been criminally charged. Since it seems justice has not been served, many town residents have confronted him in different ways. I am one of them.

 In 2016, I saw him working at the bar he managed. He was with a woman and I warned her what he had been accused of. I did not threaten him, his business, or hurt him in any way. I was calm and soft-spoken.

 He called the police and I ended up receiving a ticket for disorderly conduct. It was eventually reduced to a noise violation and I paid a fine of over $450. That’s right: when I tried to warn her that she was with a man who has been accused of these things I got a ticket for being too loud.

 Now, he’s suing me and others for defamation. He says we have hurt him.

 I would rather be spending money on food and clothes for my four boys, but this guy has put me and several others in a situation where I will have to spend between $10,000 and $25,000 on a lawyer.

 If you’re like me, you don’t have that kind of money laying around to defend yourself against lawsuits by men accused of drugging and sexually assaulting women.

 That’s why I am asking for help to cover the legal fees. 

 Fortunately, truth is a defense for defamation and I hope the truth is heard. 

 I’m angry about this situation but I think we need to always stand up for survivors of sexual violence. Our voices matter. #TimesUp and #MeToo shouldn't just happen in Hollywood.

 Thank you for reading this. And thank you for your support!