California State Parks Employee Files Lawsuit About Discriminatory Behavior and Supervisor

Working for the California State Parks system sounds like an ideal job.  You get to spend your entire workday enjoying some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth and ensuring that it stays safe for future generations to enjoy it.  Of course, it only takes one bad boss to ruin a dream job.  When your work involves feeling in harmony with nature and with humankind, it is even more noticeable when a work supervisor goes out of his or her way to point out the ways that you are different from your coworkers and to make you feel insecure and inferior.  Even though the law imposes deadlines about how soon you must contact the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission about discriminatory behavior that you have experienced at work, some employees endure years of harassment before they decide that the intolerability of their situation outweighs the fear of repercussions.  If you love your line of work but can’t stand the way that one or more co-workers treat you because of a protected characteristic such as race or disability, contact a Los Angeles discrimination and harassment lawyer.

Plaintiff Alleges That Supervisor Antagonized Him Because of His Ethnic Background and Disability

As of April 2024, a jury in Los Angeles County is deliberating in order to return a verdict in an employment discrimination lawsuit that the Los Angeles County courts first received in 2018.  The plaintiff, who is now 48 years old, began working for the California State Parks system sometime before 2006.  The Los Angeles Times website describes him as being of Mexican heritage but does not go into any further detail; regardless of where he was born, his ethnic background is a protected characteristic according to employment discrimination laws.

The problems began in 2006, when the plaintiff suffered a back injury, and when he requested an accommodation, his employer retaliated by harassing him and his wife.  The plaintiff recovered from his injuries, but when a new supervisor was assigned to supervise the plaintiff’s department, she frequently made derogatory remarks about the plaintiff’s Mexican and Latino origins and passed him over for several promotions.  The harassment continued until the supervisor retired in 2016, despite the plaintiff’s repeated complaints to leadership within the California State Parks system.  Even after the supervisor retired, the employer failed to address the plaintiff’s complaints.  In 2018, he filed a lawsuit against the California State Parks system.  The plaintiff retired in 2021, while the case was pending.  He is requesting $300,000 for each year that he experienced discrimination on the job, plus $319,000 for lost income.

Speak With a Los Angeles Employer Retaliation Lawyer

Complaining about discrimination in the workplace is a legally protected activity.  A Los Angeles employment discrimination and retaliation lawyer can help you if your employer treated you even worse after you complained about discrimination at work.  Contact Litigation, P.C. in Redondo Beach, California to discuss your situation or call (424)284-2401.

Source:

latimes.com/environment/story/2024-04-16/former-california-state-parks-employee-seeks-4-million-in-lawsuit