Former Pasadena employees file Class Action $8.75 million claim against city

The law offices of Stephen J. Horvath has filed a suit on behalf of seven city employees who were laid off in March. The lawsuit asks the city of Pasadena for almost $9 Million in damages for wrongful termination.
The claim for damages alleges City Manager Michael Beck, Mayor Bill Bogaard and several other city officials terminated employees without due process.
The former employees listed on claim number 11,681 are: Sheri Stevenson , Emily Stadnicki , Neville Pereira , Thelma Luter , Antonio Gardea , Ursula Schmidt and Maria Valenzuela .
The $9.8 million in damages sought by the plaintiffs represents the total pension benefits the former employees believe they stand to lose due to the layoff and compensation for the physical and emotional distress.
The claim seeks “ legal remedies and recovery of damages, in excess of the jurisdictional limit for the wrongful separation from their employment with the city of Pasadena in violation of their rights under the memorandum of understanding between the PMA and the city of Pasadena, and in violation of their rights under the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act.”
Claimant Sheri Stevenson alleges that City Manager Michael Beck and the city are jointly liable “ for defamation and false light” invasion of privacy. She alleges that Beck called her a “resident contrarian” of the city.
City employees “responsible for the claimed da,ages” according to the suit are: Michael Beck, Richard Kunz, Andrew Green, Bill Bogaard and Julie Gutierrez.
The claim was files June 7, 2012.

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