Tara’s abusive husband continually violated the restraining order she had obtained. Tara felt the situation was dangerous, so she left a secure job and moved with her young son to another city. When the Employment Department denied her claim for temporary unemployment benefits, she was cut off from the only means of support available during her search for a new job. Legal aid helped her challenge the decision and the Oregon Court of Appeals reversed and remanded. Tara also testified before the state legislature, helping to refine a law that allows others in her situation to receive their unemployment benefits so they can escape domestic violence.
