Appeals Court Nullifies Award to Whistle-Blower
A state appeals court has reversed a $788,000 award given in 1997 to an Orange County whistle-blower who had sued for wrongful termination.
A Superior Court jury had awarded the money to Louis Sangermano, who was fired in 1994 by the Orange County Sanitation Districts after he was accused of sexually harassing five female employees.
Sangermano, 51, claimed the allegations were false. A jury voted unanimously in his favor and awarded damages.
Sangermano was the districts’ lab manager. His salary was $85,000 when he was fired.
Sangermano’s attorney argued that the firing was retaliation for Sangermano’s report to Cal/OSHA of safety violations at a sewage treatment plant where two workers burned to death in February 1994. Sangermano also told authorities in 1993 that two administrators were receiving illegal gifts from a contractor.
In nullifying the jury verdict, the California 4th District Court of Appeals declared that Sangermano should have used the administrative process to seek reinstatement before suing.
The court issued its ruling in June.
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