In Thompson v. CVSD No 365, published December 29, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed summary judgment for the defendant school district and administrators. The plaintiff was a middle school assistant principal. He posted a comment on Facebook, shared with his Facebook “friends” only, about the Democratic National Convention that used epithets, slurs,…
In Romero v. County of Kern, published December 15, 2025, the Fifth District Court of Appeal reversed judgment on the pleadings granted to the defendant county. The plaintiff, a captain in the county fire department complained to the battalion chief and the deputy chief that the fire extinguishers on the county’s fire engines were being…
In Black v. Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, published December 2, 2025, the appellate court reversed a dismissal after demurrer. The plaintiff sued Public Transportation Services Corporation alleging wrongful termination in violation of public policy and violation of Labor Code section 970. The corporation moved for judgment on the pleadings on the ground the…
In Bronshteyn v. Department of Consumer Affairs, published September 17, 2025 ,the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 8 affirmed an attorney fee award against the defendant department. The plaintiff, an employee of the department, sued the department under FEHA for failure to accommodate or engage in an interactive process, disability discrimination, and failure to…
In Egleston v. State Personnel Board (Dept. of Corrections and Rehabilitation), published July 15, 2025, the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 6 affirmed the trial court's denial of a petition for a writ of mandate. The plaintiff worked for the Department of Corrections as a youth correctional officer. The rules and duties governing his conduct…
In Lampkin v. County of Los Angeles, published July 8, 2025, the Second District Court of Appeal, Division 1 reversed a trial court order granting the plaintiff his attorney fees. The plaintiff, a county employee, sued the county for whistleblower retaliation under Labor Code section 1102.5. He sought only damages. The jury found that the employee…
In Brown v. City of Inglewood, published July 7, 2025, the California Supreme Court affirmed the decision of the lower court of appeal, which reversed the denial of an anti-SLAPP special motion to strike. The plaintiff, the elected treasurer of the defendant city, wrote to the city and several of its officials, including the mayor and…
In Allos v. Poway Unified School District, ordered published July 7, 2025, the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division 1 affirmed summary judgment in favor of the defendant school district. The plaintiff, a senior business systems analyst for the district, started working at home when the COVID-19 Pandemic shut down the district's in-person operations in March…
In DeFrancesco v. Robbins, published May 7, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed dismissal of a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 lawsuit at the pleadings stage due to qualified immunity. The lawsuit alleged that both the plaintiff and his husband held high positions at a university. The plaintiff's husband spoke out about the university's hiring…
In Jensen v. Brown, published March 10, 2025, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the dismissal of a 42 U.S.C. section 1983 lawsuit without leave to amend. The plaintiff is a mathematics professor at a state community college. The board of regents for the state college system adopted a policy that lowered the academic level…