You don't understand the process of EDD. You have a $12/hr clerk that probably has to process 10 UI discharge claims an hour. I can assure that minutes were spent evaluating your claim.

To appeal, you just submit, "the determination dated mm/dd/yy is wrong. I want an appeal hearing scheduled." That will get you a hearing.

This Joanne person probably isn't even a first-hand witness to any events regarding your termination. From the sounds of things, I doubt your employer is even going to take the time off work to attend your UI hearing.

You save all your words and evidence for the hearing. Personally, your story is probably along the lines of "I was fired," then stop talking, and you don't have any evidence, and I wouldn't bother with the text message.

54.9% of EDD denials are overturned on appeal after a hearing. That means that the EDD workers that make these decisions are wrong more than half the time.

Being "fired" is qualifying, being "fired because . . . " is where the problems start. Don't tell this story. For the denial to stick after an appeal, the CEO is going to have to provide first-hand testimony of what happened, and he sounds too busy. In the alternate, you can tell some too long story that just confuses people and have it act as an admission.

http://www.cuiab.ca.gov/Documents/forms/27Ways.pdf

Pay attention to 11, 15 and 16. That's what your employer needs to do. Until they do that correctly, you can sit back an enjoy the ride. The burden is not on you to prove that you didn't do something. However, you can admit yourself right into a denial if you talk too much like "I was late because my kid was sick." At that point, the employer no longer has to prove you were late (a real head banging moment when you find your employer isn't at the hearing), and now you have to prove that your kid was sick and hope that excuses the tardy.