Every year, thousands of workers in California and across the country are retaliated against for taking a stand. No person should ever have to endure retaliation or harassment in the workplace. A woman in Burbank filed a lawsuit after she was allegedly harassed and retaliated against, causing her to resign. The woman worked as a special education director for a school district.
She asserted that she consistently received high marks for her job performance, and noted that her superior praised her for the many positive effects she had on the school district. However, a few years after her employment began, a new supervisor was hired, according to the lawsuit. The plaintiff claimed that her new supervisor repeatedly asked her to break compliance laws that pertained to special education students. The lawsuit detailed one example when the plaintiff was asked to evaluate special education students during their summer break even though the plaintiff informed her supervisor that this would be against compliance guidelines.
Allegedly, the supervisor also secretly worked to remove the plaintiff and kept a journal of the plaintiff’s errors. The woman claimed that she reported these instances and complained about a hostile work environment to several parties, including human resources, but nothing was done. The woman eventually had to take stress and medical leave and was reassigned to a different role, taking a $50,000 pay cut. She resigned shortly after this, the lawsuit said. The lawsuit was recently settled for $300,000 plus attorney fees.
Employees should never be asked to break the law or do anything unethical at work. Those in California who feel they have been subjected to harassment or retaliation at work can take action by consulting a legal representative. A successful lawsuit could result in fair and just compensation to help victims get back on their feet.