Wilson v. Reliable Street and Lockwood Café, et al
Discrimination, Fraud, Promissory Estoppel, Retaliation, Threats,
Intentional Interference with Contractual Relations, and Political Sabotage
I did everything I could to resolve this privately and amicably; they left me no choice
Updated on August 15, 2025 by Sondra Wilson.
Filed: December 2023
Updated: August 15, 2025
Plaintiff: Sondra Wilson
Defendants: Reliable Street, Lockwood Café, and associated parties
Claims: Discrimination, Fraud, Promissory Estoppel, Retaliation, Threats, Intentional Interference with Contractual Relations, Political Sabotage
⚖️ Why This Case Matters
I did everything I could to resolve this privately and amicably. The defendants left me no choice. This case is not about revenge—it’s about truth, accountability, and protecting my future from reputational harm caused by false allegations and fraudulent filings. It is also about recovering from years of mental and emotional harm defendants continue to cause me, and the immeasurable amount of work I have had to perform to prove my case.
I originally filed the case due to discrimination, fraud, and political sabotage against me. My options were to either:
a.) Let the false, extremely damaging allegations alongside false documents remain lodged in the public record, and then be used against me in the future to attack my reputation, or
b.) File a lawsuit, prove the documents and testimonies were false, and clear my name ahead of time.
I chose the latter, only to be met with additional fraud, more hardship, and political sabotage as they try to cover their tracks.
📚 Spring 2025 Sabotaged — Bracing for Fall
The defendants’ actions sabotaged my Spring 2025 semester at Iowa State University, forcing me to drop two classes and take an incomplete in another. I now anticipate further filings timed to disrupt my Fall 2025 semester—just as they did before. Their strategy is clear: overwhelm me with twisted filings during my semesters (every semester since spring 2024!), exploit my financial vulnerability, and pressure the court to issue politically expedient rulings.
🕵️♀️ How They’ve Operated
1. Plausible Deniability
Plausible deniability refers to the ability of individuals—especially those in positions of power—to deny knowledge of or responsibility for actions taken by others within their sphere, because there is no clear evidence linking them directly to those actions. Although I possess clear evidence of what the defendants did, I left it private because culturally it would be seen as inappropriate for me to put it out there publicly. Instead I repeatedly attempted to resolve this amicably in private. Unfortunately, instead of coming to the table, apologizing, and making things right, defendants have doubled down and caused additional harm. Sabotaging my spring semester at ISU was the final straw.
2. Secrecy
I initially redacted names to protect reputations. But as the case progressed, it became clear that multiple parties were complicit. I can no longer afford to shield those who’ve caused harm.
3. Legal Power Imbalance
Their attorney, Paul Esker, is paid to produce abusive filings. I, like 92% of low-income Iowans, cannot afford legal representation (Legal Services Corporation 2022). Civil litigation lawyers in Iowa average $254/hr. (Clio)—far beyond reach for someone in my position. Free legal services have declined to help due to “fee-generating” restrictions.
4. Case Complexity
This case involves over 90 pieces of evidence and a nuanced timeline. Early missteps—like not attaching evidence to my initial petition—led to unjust rulings. I’m now preparing a final amended petition with full documentation.
5. My Vulnerability
As a transgender woman in a hostile political climate, I’ve faced silence from media, fear from allies, and systemic exclusion. Friends have told me they’re afraid to speak up. Meanwhile, the defendants continue to exploit my isolation, as legal filings have continued to pile up behind closed doors, and the stakes increase as they repeatedly try to set up a countersuit and stick me with their attorney’s fees in retaliation for my coming forward.
📅 Why I’m Going Public Now
Each action taken against me is part of a larger pattern. To explain what happened in Spring 2025 is to pull a thread connected to years of abuse. That’s why I’m publishing a full timeline and all legal filings on this website—so when new filings come, and rulings are issued during my school semester, I won’t be left alone again.
🚫 On Gag Orders and Secrecy
Although gag orders are marketed as tools to ensure fair trials, in this case, secrecy has enabled unchecked abuse. Making this case public is now the only path toward justice. I am concerned that if they can coax the court into issuing the unjust ruling they want, they will file a countersuit and request a gag order in order to try to politically destroy my life and cover their tracks for the torts and crimes they’ve committed, which I am determined to prove. This is not just about protecting me — it is about stopping predators from hurting others in the future.
🏛️ Interconnected Cases
Due to the State of Iowa’s response—wherein the Reynolds Administration and complicit judges have effectively aided and abetted the defendants—I filed Wilson v. State of Iowa and Kim Reynolds for Iowa. These cases are now intertwined with Wilson et al v. Trump et al.
Timeline
The case has been in front of three different judges: Judge Samantha J. Gronewald in Polk County’s District 5C Court (case # LACL157381), in Polk County’s District 5C Court under Judge Samantha J. Gronewald)
If you’re able to support me during this fight, I’ve included donation links at the end of this post. Your help means everything. (Full details below.)
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Polk County Court
December 5, 2023 — Original Petition Filed
Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure 1. 403(1) Generally. A pleading which sets forth a claim for relief, whether an original claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or cross-petition, shall contain a short and plain statement of the claim showing that the pleader is entitled to relief and a demand for judgment for the type of relief sought.
Polk D0001 12-5-23 Original Petition
Polk D0002 1-26-24 Original Notice
Polk D0010 2-29 OMNIBUS MOTION
Polk D0011 2-29 OMNIBUS MOTION
Polk D0013 3-15 Omnibus Motion
Polk D0014 3-15 ORDER to Transfer Venue
Polk D0015 3-19 ACCEPTANCE OF SERVICE
Polk D0016 3-19 MOTION TO ENLARGE
Polk D0017 3-19 ATTACHMENT PAUL’S FEE SCHEDULE
Polk D0017 3-19 RESPONSE TO MY MOTION AND MO TO DISMISS
Polk D0018 3-20 PAUL’S APPEARANCE FOR ALL DEFENDANTS
Polk D0019 3-21 Omnibus Motion and Resistance
Polk D0023 4-2 Two Motions to Reconsider and Two Resistances
Polk D0026 4-2 ORDER TO TRANSFER VENUE
Polk D0027 4-9 TRANSCRIPT FOR TRANSFER
Cause of Action
After performing approximately six months of labor under multiple agreements — including two the defendants breached, one to assist with community garden management and another focused on prairie restoration — I was abruptly barred from the Reliable Street property following an undisclosed complaint. The only explanation provided was a vague and damaging allegation that I had “violated a woman’s space.” As a transgender woman, this allegation hung over my head like a black cloud, severely bringing my character into question after one of the most popular artist hub in my hometown very publicly barred me from the property under extremely damaging allegations. I spent days trying to understand what could have triggered such a complaint, and ultimately began to suspect I was being gaslighted.
After learning that the complaint may have come from Lockwood employee Willa Colville, on April 12, 2022 I wrote a letter to addressed to Reliable Street Inc and Lockwood Café, care of Reliable Street’s President, Lyndsay Nissen, and Lockwood Cafe’s co-owner, Sharon Stewart, who was also the Vice President of Reliable Street. I requested mediation, asserting that the complaint lacked merit and constituted discrimination. I am a transgender woman, and the complainant is not. No explanation was ever given as to any action I performed which merited such a complaint, and the numerous pieces of evidence I possess, presented herein, point toward fraud, secrecy, discrimination, and political sabotage, as they knew I had founded Wild Willpower. In essence, by bringing my character into such disrepute, they had sabotaged not only my life’s work, but also the life’s work of everyone who invested in Wild Willpower, including several of whom are no longer with us.
When I received no response, I filed a formal complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. On August 3, I was notified by the Commission that they were administratively closing my case, and would not investigate. Accompanied with the letter was a preliminary case review — an assessment by the Commission weighing in on the testimonies and evidence sent to them by myself and the respondents to the complaint. The review included extremely damaging false testimonies by Nissen and a close friend of Colville’s, Charlie Esker, accusing me of incendiary behavior which led to my removal of the property. These allegations, lodged into the public record and available to be withdrawn by the offenders on a future date in order to sabotage my work, accused me of:
– Stalking and harassing Colville,
– Saying racist and comments
– Saying anti-LGBT+ comments
– Asking Lockwood Cafe’s staff and customers for money,
– Performing numerous acts of labor not in accordance with agreements, but rather by my own volition and without permission, and
– Numerous other flat out lies designed to (1) damage my reputation and the reputation of Wild Willpower, and (2) trick the Commission into believing that I was the problem and that their decision to bar me from the property was justified.
Although Stewart’s testimony indicated that she was likely caught in the middle, and responded based on genuine concern for her employees, her testimony included false information indicating that she did in fact discriminate against me: a non-transgender woman lodged a complaint against a transgender woman, and with no questions asked and no explanation to me, the transgender woman was punished, and the non-transgender woman was believed.
In fall 2023, upon requesting the case file, I discovered that a small group — the named defendants — had submitted falsified and misleading documentation, including out-of-context screenshots and a falsified document, to support false claims. These included allegations of “stalking and harassment,” “racist comments,” and several other fabrications. I possess hard evidence disproving these claims.
The legacy I have spent my entire adult life building was now compromised. Thus, they had violated everything I stand for, leaving me no choice but to sue to clear my name.
Initially, I withheld the names of those involved out of a desire to resolve the matter quietly. However, due to continued retaliatory behavior — including court filings designed to discredit and intimidate me — I have decided to make the facts public. The same individuals have submitted damaging and politically motivated statements into the public record, harming my reputation.
I am now publishing evidence and court filings on this website to expose the full scope of what has occurred. In spring 2025, the same group — along with their attorney, who appears to be closely connected to defendant Charlie Esker — intentionally interfered with my academic progress at Iowa State University, forcing me to drop two classes and take an incomplete in a third.
Given the political context — including documented patterns of state and federal abuse against transgender individuals — I am currently working on an amended petition in the federal case Wilson et al v. Trump et al, seeking to add the defendants as co-conspirators.
They performed multiple a tortious interferences which:
nterrupted my DMACC Honors contract with Professor Irwin, Causing me to drop COMS 1130 last semester and ECON 1020 and sabotaging my semester at Iowa State University this semester was the final straw. I am currentlyU
April 14, 2025 – “Semester Sabotaged” Semester at Iowa State University sabotaged by Lyndsay Nissen and co-conspirators. READ MORE.
Aug. 2024 – “Olive Branch extended” – original Article about the Lockwood/Reliable clique. READ MORE.
Venue: Story County’s District 2B
Case #: LACV053674 (formerly case # LACL157381 in Polk County’s District 5C Court under Judge Samantha J. Gronewald)
Judge: Angela L. Doyle (transferred from Bethany Currie on December 4, 2024)
Filed: December 5, 2025
Status: Ongoing
Story D0001 4-9 TRANSCRIPT FROM POLK
Story D0002 5-14 NOTICE OF PENDING MOTIONS
Story D0003 5-15 JUDGE CURRIE APPOINTED
Story D0004 5-15 Motion to Continue
Story D004 ORDER EXTENDING DEADLINES
Story D0007 5-17 RESPONSE TO ORDER
Story D0010 5-24 Motion to Continue
Story D0012 5-28 Addendum to Motion
Story D0014 5-19 Request for Extension
Story D0015 6-7 Motion to Continue
Story D0016 6-7 ORDER GRANTING EXTENSION
Story D0020 6-17 Amended Petition
Story D0021 ORDER SETTING HEARING
Story D0022 7-5 MOTION TO DISMISS
Story D0028 Resistance and Motion to Estop
Story D0030 8-12 MEMORANDUM AND FEE
Story D0031 8-3 Resistance to Request for Evidentiary Hearing
Story D0034 8-13 Post-Hearing Addendum and Request for Aux Remedy
Story D0035 9-13 MEMORANDUM AND FEE
Story D0038 10-4 ORDER MOSTLY DENYING
Story D0039 10-25 SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE
Story D0042 12-4 ANGELA DOYLE APPOINTED
🙏 Request for Support
Because campaign contributions cannot be used for personal expenses—and because I must continue this casework to prevent dismissal, gag orders, and unjust attorney’s fees—I now request mercy and compassion from the public.
If you’re able to offer a small monthly donation to help me afford medication, food, and basic necessities while I fight against injustices no human should have to endure, I would be deeply grateful.
- Venmo: @Sondra-Wilson-777
- PayPal: Sondra.Wilson777@gmail.com
References
Clio. (Retrieved 9 June 2025). How Much Should I Charge as a Lawyer in Iowa? https://www.clio.com/resources/legal-trends/compare-lawyer-rates/ia/
Legal Services Corporation. (28 April 2022). “The Justice Gap: The Unmet Civil Legal Needs of Low-Income Americans.” The Justice Gap Report, Legal Services Corporation, 28 Apr. 2022, justicegap.lsc.gov/
ZipRecruiter. Hourly salary in Iowa. https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Hourly-Pay-Salary–in-Iowa
I have done everything I can to not have to write this article, however at this point I feel desperate, trapped, and without any other choice. I am in urgent need of finding about 5 case rulings in order to get this unjust ruling that Judge Currie issued on October 4 reversed or I am going to be forced to pay people who:
- Exploited me for several months of unpaid labor I would not have performed had I known Reliable Street Inc was going to:
- Discriminate against me,
- Violate our agreements, and
- Harm my reputation throughout much of the local Ames, Iowa arts scene.
- Entered numerous extremely damaging false testimonies about me into the public record, alongside a falsified document, in retaliation for me filing a discrimination complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission against Lockwood Café and non-profit Reliable Street Inc. Had I not filed a civil action against the defendants, I have strong reason to believe that the defendants intended to use the false testimonies in the future in order to attack my political endeavors.
Why this article is being made public
After suffering recurring suicidal thoughts about the thought of having money taken out of my account to pay my abusers – and about living in a state that seems irreparably corrupt – I decided to write this article ASAP because the deadline for the next filing is January 6, 2025. This article has four purposes:
- I humbly request help from members of the public to find about 5 case rulings that could be used to reverse Judge Currie’s ruling. I’ve contacted more than 50 attorneys across the state, and the least expensive quote I received was $5000 up front, $275/hr. Furthermore, legal aid organizations, such as Legal Aid of Story County or Iowa Legal Aid, are not able to assist with “fee-generating cases”. Progressive organizations involved with broad advocacy for LGBT+, such as Ames Pride or OneIowa, have been of no help, nor has the ACLU of Iowa, whom I received a form letter from saying they cannot help at this time. I could go on about this topic and how frustrated I am by the lack of legal support and advocacy for distressed minorities here in Iowa, suffice it to say that self-representation and writing an article to expose what’s going on appeared to be my only option.
- There is a possibility that the owners of Lockwood Café either do not know what the other defendants, who acted maliciously, are aware of, or they are under duress and being coerced to go along with the extremely harmful and manipulative narrative the defendants’ shared attorney is representing (which seems to me to be in more in the interests of the other defendants). Due to what transpired within the settlement conferences, I have strong reason to believe this might be the case, however I am under duress myself, as I was instructed by the court not to talk about what happened within the settlement conferences. Please note that I think that is utter bullshit, and it seems to me that the only reason such a policy exists is to hush certain parties, and to enable other parties to say whatever they want without the public knowing about it. After carefully viewing the evidence, posted below, and witnessing what the other defendants most certainly know and likely have been hiding from the owners of Lockwood, I would strongly urge Lockwood Café to file a cross-claim against the other defendants, and to become co-plaintiffs with me in this lawsuit. After viewing the evidence below, if Lockwood does not file a cross-claim, I will have no other choice but to remove the benefit of the doubt I’ve been giving them, and assume they are in on it, and just as guilty as the rest of them.
- To the owners of Lockwood Café: if you are in fact under duress, I strongly suggest filing a cross-claim against the defendants who are acting maliciously, and using the money to move your business across town. I understand that advising you to do this would likely be a conflict of interest for your attorney, which is why I’m putting this out there publicly, in hopes that you receive this message and get away from these abusive people. Note that it is not too late to do so, despite what your attorney might be telling you.
- To expose what the defendants have done and are concealing in order to alert the Ames arts community about what has been going on in hopes to:
- Urge the President of Reliable Street, Lyndsay Nissen, to step down; a nonprofit designed to support local artists, who conveys itself as LGBT+ friendly, should not have a community leader performing predatory acts against a transgender woman (or anyone).
- Convince the Ames arts community to consider that we may need a new nonprofit (or other organization) that supports local artists.
- To expose the State of Iowa’s response to this situation thus far; I am likely not the only minority who has filed a discrimination complaint with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission only to find that the state will bend over backwards to aid and abet businesses who discriminate. For example:
- Apparently businesses can simply lied to the Commission to convince them not to investigate. Even if you show them hard evidence that the respondents lied, the Commission will still do nothing.
- I attempted to file a complaint with the Ames Police to report that Nissen and defendant Charlie Esker, a friend of the other defendants and frequently-showcased artist at Reliable Street, knowingly sent false testimonies to the Commission, in violation of Iowa Code §714.8, “any person who makes any entry in… any public records… knowing the same to be false, is guilty of fraud.” However, Ames Police, whom I have experienced severe discrimination from in the past, would not allow me to file a complaint, informing me that the falsified document and false testimonies were sent to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, and therefore I should contact the Des Moines Police to file a complaint. Des Moines PD, however, informed me that even if it were in their jurisdiction, I should file it with the Ames Police and that they would transfer it to the Des Police. “They know this,” I was told by a Des Moines police officer. After informing Officer Schieffer about this, he emailed me back, informing me that the Story County Attorney’s Office advised that they wouldn’t prosecute even if it were in their jurisdiction. I was denied “equal protection of the laws”; you can read read the email thread here.
This Article, Court Documents, and Evidence are being Broadcast for First Amendment Purposes
From the time this article was written, I have about one week to file a motion to reconsider; that leaves very little time to find case rulings relevant to my case. The good news is that the rulings should exist because the ruling that came down is wholly unjust. I plan to post this article on Reddit and other places online in hopes people will help me find relevant case law. I don’t have time to go through all the documents and redact names; I did that in the previous article I wrote about this case, which I never had time to finish because it is extremely time consuming to redact every piece of evidence. The purpose of this article is to request assistance from members of the public in researching about 5 case rulings to get Judge Currie’s ruling reversed. Please help, if able.
Why This Case is of Public Importance
If businesses can simply lie to the Iowa Civil Rights Commission in order to convince them not to investigate, then minorities are not being protected from discrimination in Iowa. That is why I’m broadcasting this for First Amendment purposes; to alert the public. Even though the Iowa Civil Rights Commission’s website says they “will” investigate a case “if there is a reasonable possibility of probable cause [of discrimination]”, in practice the commission is not doing this. I showed them hard evidence the respondents lies to the commission, however still the commission chose not to investigate. Here are two related articles which show that this is certainly not an isolated case:
- Tugade, Amanda F. Why 60% of Iowa workers’ civil rights complaints aren’t investigated; why process is so difficult. Des Moines Register.
- Grundmeier, Lucas. Iowa should stop tilting the scales in civil rights cases. Des Moines Register.
This article is currently on hold. Here you can follow the case.
Following approximately six months of volunteering at Reliable Street in accordance with three separate agreements, according to documents submitted by President of Reliable Street Inc, Lyndsay Nissen, and co-owner of Lockwood Café, Sharon Stewart, Lockwood employee Willa Colville falsely accused me of “stalking and harassing” her, and her friend and co-worker Denise Martinez accused me of “saying racist and anti-LGBT+ comments”. Colville and Martinez’s false, defamatory statements appear to have been used alongside a falsified document and out-of-context statements that were screenshotted from various threads I was in in order to convince Nissen and Stewart that I was performing these predatory behaviors. Due to the fact that none of the defendants have ever been upfront with me about any of this, it is difficult to determine to what extent the two employees defamed me prior to me being banned from the property, or whether the documents were created after I filed a discrimination complaint against the two businesses with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission. It is difficult to determine because instead of being up front with me and telling me what I was accused of, Nissen and Stewart presumed I was guilty and banned me from the property, telling me only that I was accused of “violating a woman’s space”. Although Nissen and Stewart alleged to the Commission that the complaints of racism and anti-LGBT+ comments were made by Martinez prior to me being banned from the property, based on the evidence before me (which I will share below), it appears that:
- There was never any legitimate reason for Nissen and Stewart to bar me from the property other than deciding they no longer wanted me around,
- That the aforementioned individuals, along with their friend and frequently-showcased artist at Reliable street, Charlie Esker, conspired to retaliate against me for filing the discrimination complaint via submitting the falsified document and phony testimonies into the public record (via their responses to the Commission),
- That Stewart may have been deceived by her employees, who colluded with Nissen and Esker. Based on the evidence currently before me (which again I will share below), it is possible that Stewart:
- Was originally deceived and unaware of what the other defendants submitted to the Commission,
- Is currently under duress and being coerced by the other defendants and their shared attorney to go along with their aggressive and accusatory legal defense.
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Summary of What Happened
- In accordance with three separate agreements, I performed about 6 months of volunteer labor for the nonprofit Reliable Street in Ames, Iowa. Two of the agreements included my continued work throughout 2022, as confirmed by the President of Reliable Street, Lyndsay Nissen, in two separate emails.
- After performing months of labor, Reliable Street, who originally approached me to request that I help manage their garden, would not purchase any supplies that were needed for the garden. The agreement included my work alongside the high school gardening club “SHEPH”; it was not until after months of work – just before SHEPH and I had planned spring planting – that the lack of needed supplies to prepare for planting became a real issue. Because there appeared to be no support for supplies coming in, I went ahead and purchased the items I could afford. After informing Reliable Street that a few more supplies were still needed, they requested that I meet them in the garden on March 31, 2022. During the meeting, Nissen and Vice President, Sharon Stewart (who is also a co-owner of Lockwood Café), informed me that they received a complaint about me “violating a woman’s space”, then banned me from the property. Even though I was For days I thought about this thoroughly, and no instance which could have been construed as me violating someone came to mind; after describing the situation to friends and trying to figure out what was going on, I came to the conclusion I had been gaslighted; used by Reliable Street to clean up their run down property for six months, then kicked off the property without explanation.
- These false testimonies were submitted alongside a falsified document and another document which included out-of-context statements screenshotted from various threads in order to trick the Iowa Civil Rights Commission into believing that I was not discriminated against, and to
The State of Iowa is Aiding and Abetting the Defendants
The State of Iowa’s response to the discrimination claim I filed with the Iowa Civil Rights Commission, who decided not to investigate my complaint even after I showed them irrefutable evidence that as well as how , through the Ames Police Department, Story County Attorney’s Office, Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Attorney General’s Office, and both the Polk and Story County courts is also a testament regarding how broken, unjust, and in dire need of reform Iowa’s court system and executive agencies have become. You can read more about that here and here.