Disability Discrimination

Berta Cifuentes, a longtime employee at Costco’s Goleta warehouse, claimed she was wrongfully terminated after correcting a minor timekeeping error. Diagnosed with depression and anxiety, she said the company ignored her requests for accommodations and used the clock-in discrepancy as a pretext to fire her. Cifuentes filed suit alleging disability discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination. At trial, her attorneys presented surveillance footage and expert testimony suggesting the termination was pre-planned. Costco countered with arguments that she had violated company policy and had never formally requested accommodations. After deliberation, the jury sided with Costco on all claims, awarding no damages. The case highlighted complex issues around workplace disability rights, employer policies, and retaliation protections.

A Los Angeles jury awarded $27.5 million to Nancy Valla, a former nurse executive at St. Mary Medical Center, operated by Dignity Health. Valla alleged she was retaliated against and constructively terminated after pushing for suicide-prevention measures following a tragic death on hospital grounds. She also sought accommodations for PTSD and depression, which she claimed were denied. The jury found that Dignity Health had discriminated against her and failed to accommodate her mental health disability. The swift and unanimous verdict delivered a clear rebuke of the hospital’s treatment of a whistleblower and healthcare professional seeking workplace support.