Originally presented on September 24, 2025.
While it's difficult to talk about, race has a significant impact in investigations, particularly when investigating claims of discrimination and harassment. This presentation aims to identify common challenges and advantages an investigator’s race can present in investigations, how investigators respond to client requests for specific investigators based on race, and discuss tools for interviewing and building rapport across racial differences. In addition, the discussion will include how an investigator’s race and cultural competency, or lack thereof, can affect report writing, credibility assessments, factual findings, and other aspects of an investigation.
Presented by:
Christina J. Ro-Connolly, AWI-CH
Founding Partner
Oppenheimer Investigations Group, LLP
Christina (Tina) has more than 15 years of labor and employment law experience. Her investigations include allegations of discrimination and harassment, allegations of abusive conduct, sexual misconduct, retaliation and workplace misconduct. She has handled investigations against high-level executives and elected officials. She has worked in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Tina conducts Title IX investigations and is a Title IX hearing officer. She also leads sexual harassment prevention, workplace investigations, and implicit bias trainings.
Prior to joining OIG, Tina spent 11 years at the Contra Costa County Counsel’s Office, advising departments on labor and employment matters. This included representing departments in civil service hearings, arbitrations and before the Public Employment Relations Board. Tina also advised and represented law enforcement agencies on all legal matters, including disciplinary matters involving the Peace Officer Bill of Rights and the Firefighter Bill of Rights.
Tina is the 2024-2025 Chair of the Executive Committee for the Labor and Employment Section of the California Lawyers Association, a graduate and faculty member of the AWI’s Training Institute for workplace investigators, a founding faculty member of the AWI Advanced Seminar for Workplace Investigators, and a frequent trainer and presenter on employment law matters.