Danielle Foster and Jill Williams secured a unanimous defense verdict for the City of Hawthorne

After a nine-day jury trial, Danielle Foster and Jill Williams secured a unanimous defense verdict for the City of Hawthorne in a whistleblower retaliation and discrimination action brought by Plaintiff, Remedios Perez.  Perez was a 19-year City employee who alleged she was wrongfully terminated by the City in retaliation for reporting what she believed to be embezzled City funds.  Perez also alleged she was terminated because of her age, race, and/or gender. She sought over $3.5 million in damages for lost earnings, lost retirement benefits, and emotional distress.  The City of Hawthorne denied wrongdoing and asserted that it had legitimate, non-discriminatory and non-retaliatory business reasons (i.e., reducing a budget deficit) to eliminate Perez’s position.