A jury awarded a former California State Parks worker almost $2.3 million after a trial laid naked claims that the company and a former boss discriminated towards him for his Mexican heritage and retaliated when he spoke up whereas employed within the division’s Malibu area.
“It might lay a basis for different folks behind me to have a good shake,” plaintiff Angel Alba stated Monday. He certified his optimism, although, including, “There’s nonetheless no room for Mexican American folks in management right here on this district.”
The jury delivered the decision in favor of Alba on Friday after deliberating for about 4 days. Michael Anderson, Alba’s lawyer, had requested the jury to award his consumer almost $4 million for emotional misery and misplaced earnings.
“California State Parks is conscious of the courtroom’s resolution in favor of Mr. Alba,” the company stated in a press release. “The division will want time to completely assessment the courtroom’s ruling earlier than commenting additional or if there shall be an attraction on the choice.”
Alba, a former upkeep supervisor and employee at a number of state parks in Malibu, filed the go well with in 2018 in Los Angeles County Superior Court docket towards the company and his former boss, Lynette Brody, after greater than a decade of contentious office points, in response to the courtroom paperwork.
Brody, Alba stated, referred to as him an “boastful Mexican,” amongst different disparaging remarks.
Earlier than the conclusion of the go well with, when requested about Alba’s claims, Brody stated, “I consider they’re very exaggerated.” She was superintendent of California State Parks’ Malibu sector when she retired in 2016.
“It’s so after-the-fact; I’ve been retired for nearly eight years,” she stated throughout a break within the trial. “For him to hunt me out particularly is fairly troublesome.”
Within the verdict, all claims have been supported — identified formally as causes of motion — besides one, which was incapacity discrimination, in response to Anderson. Jurors break up 11to 1 in favor of Alba’s declare of racial discrimination towards the state, Anderson stated.
“It’s hopefully opened the doorways right here for among the Hispanic teams which have nonetheless, as Angel [said], they’re nonetheless being shut out,” Anderson stated. “However hopefully the district wakes up now.”
The California Division of Justice, which represented the state and Brody, didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
The dispute dates to round 2007, when Alba filed a grievance alleging racial discrimination and retaliation, in addition to sexual harassment of his spouse, in response to Alba and the civil go well with. An investigation substantiated most of his allegations on the time, paperwork present. However the hostile remedy continued, Alba and his household stated.
In response to the civil go well with, Alba was denied promotions a number of occasions regardless of being certified.
Alba suffered a number of again accidents relationship to 2006, and in 2021 he developed nervousness so extreme {that a} psychological well being skilled suggested him not return to work for a number of weeks, in response to courtroom proceedings. He stated his incapacity was not accommodated, and his lawyer stated Alba was requested to carry out work he shouldn’t have been doing together with his situation.
About three years in the past, Alba resigned from State Parks, leaving housing supplied by the state alongside the coast. The aftermath break up the household. Alba’s spouse and daughter not stay with him.
Whereas Alba stated the trial ate up money and time, which continues to be affecting the household, he expressed aid.
“It’s been a very long time,” he stated, “and eventually we deliver some closure to this.”
