Wrongful Termination

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Varisco v. Gateway Science & Eng’g, Inc., 166 Cal. App. 4th 1099 (2008)

Gateway engaged Al Varisco to provide construction inspection services on two projects it was doing for the Los Angeles Unified School District (“LAUSD”). Gateway retained Varisco pursuant to a letter agreement whereby he was to be paid $75 per hour for the inspection services, which he performed directly for the LAUSD.…

Hicks v. KNTV Television, Inc., 160 Cal. App. 4th 994 (2008)

Bradford Hicks, a white man, was the 5:00 p.m. weeknight news anchor for KNTV. After KNTV chose not to renew Hicks’ contract, it selected an African-American man to fill the position Hicks had vacated. Hicks alleged race discrimination and wrongful termination, asserting that KNTV was under “pressure in the industry to hire minorities…

Mokler v. County of Orange, 157 Cal. App. 4th 121 (2007)

Pamela Mokler was employed as the executive director of the County’s Office on Aging (“OoA”). Following her termination, she sued the County for breach of contract, wrongful termination, hostile work environment and unlawful retaliation under Labor Code § 1102.5 (the “whistleblower statute”). The jury awarded Mokler $14,089.60 in past economic damages and $1,681,823…

Perez v. Uline, Inc., 157 Cal. App. 4th 953 (2007)

On the day that Brian Perez, a captain in the United States Marine Corps Reserves, returned to work after duty with the Reserves, his employment with Uline, Inc. was terminated. He was presented with a “Severance Agreement and Release,” offering him severance in the amount of six weeks’ salary in exchange for his execution…

Casella v. SouthWest Dealer Services, 157 Cal. App. 4th 1127 (2007)

Zachary Casella was employed as a sales representative for SouthWest Dealer Services, which sells its aftermarket auto products to auto dealerships and helps train auto dealership finance and insurance salespeople on how to promote and sell SouthWest’s products. Casella moved from New York to California to accept the position. After his employment was…

Metoyer v. Screen Actors Guild, 504 F.3d 919 (9th Cir. 2007)

SAG terminated the employment of Dr. Patricia Heisser Metoyer (SAG’s national executive director of affirmative action) after PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded she had authorized payment of $30,000 of funds available for Guild use to friends, business partners and her husband’s production company. Metoyer responded by filing a lawsuit alleging race discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation…

Goldberg v. Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., 125 Cal. App. 4th 752 (2005)

Ilene Goldberg sued her former employer, Warner/Chappell Music, and her former supervisor for wrongful termination, discrimination, and retaliation for “whistle blowing,” among other things. Goldberg moved to disqualify Warner’s counsel, the law firm of Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP (MS&K), on the ground that six years earlier she had consulted with an MS&K…

Sinatra v. Chico Unified School Dist., 119 Cal. App. 4th 701 (2004)

Charles F. Sinatra, a former assistant principal at Chico High School, alleged wrongful termination in violation of the public policy purportedly embodied in California Education Code § 44922, which permits a school district to allow older, full-time employees to work part time without jeopardizing their retirement and health care benefits. Sinatra alleged…

Rivera v. NIBCO, Inc., 364 F.3d 1057 (9th Cir. 2004)

Twenty-three Latina and Southeast Asian female immigrants had been employed at NIBCO’s factory in Fresno and were terminated following their poor performance on a basic job skills examination that was given in English. The employees alleged discrimination under Title VII and the California Fair Employment and Housing Act. During a deposition, Martha Rivera’s counsel…

CalMat Co. v. United States Dep’t of Labor, 364 F.3d 1117 (9th Cir. 2004)

Robert Germann had worked at CalMat for nearly 20 years when he was elected to be the local union’s shop steward. After a fellow employee told Germann that three of the company’s drivers had worked more than 15 hours the previous day in violation of state and federal safety regulations,…