The Okorocha Law Firm has filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department's former youth charity director against the agency, county and the sheriff himself for violation of state and federal civil rights laws after she was fired for her husband's connection to a legal medical marijuana dispensary. 
Specifically, our Los Angeles sexual assault attorneys allege that this termination is a violation of the following:
- 42 U.S.C. 1983, U.S. Constitutional Amendment I, Assembly Clause for Unconstitutional Restraint Upon Freedom of Association in an Intimate Human Relationship of Marriage;
- Wrongful discharge in violation of public policy;
- California Fair Employment and Housing Act. CA Gov't. Code 12940(a) and California Code Regulations Title 2, 7292.2, Marriage Status Discrimination
Former Youth Charity Director Dawn Zamudio was fired last month, after sheriff's officials learned that her husband, Ramiro, ran a legal medical marijuana dispensary called Ironworks Collective in Marina Del Ray.
The case garnered statewide headlines, with an agency spokesman/sergeant calling the association "shocking," given that Sheriff Lee Baca had been particularly vocal in his criticism of such operations. However in that same breath, the spokesman noted that Zamudio had been an outstanding employee.
The spokesman went on to tell media representatives that Zamudio had withheld information from her employer regarding her husband's identity and business. Legally, however, she was not required to provide such information. The assertion that she was is a clear indication that the agency believes it has a right to know to whom employees are married, what each spouse's profession is and to use this information as a basis upon which to take adverse employment action if the top brass does not approve of a significant other's occupation.
This is exactly what the agency went on to do to Zamudio on Jan. 6, 2013. Zamudio asserts that the sole reason for her firing was marriage to a man who ran a business with which the sheriff does not agree.
To assert that she could not be married to Ramiro Zamudio and also be an employee of the sheriff's department is a clear violation of Dawn's federally-protected constitutional rights. The defendants in this case may not argue immunity, per the precedent set in Roberts v. United States Jaycees, 468 U.S. 609 (1984).
Additionally, this termination was a clear violation of public policy as it stemmed solely from the employee's engagement in protected activity - that is, marriage to a person of her choosing.
Flat-out, this is a clear case of discrimination by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, the sheriff and the county. The legal livelihood of an employee's spouse is not just cause for termination - no matter what moral or ethical issues a supervisor has with it.
Plaintiff Zamudio, who had earned an annual salary of $103,700 in her previous position, is seeking both compensatory and punitive damages, as the actions of the sheriff's department were both malicious and oppressive. The Okorocha Law Firm believes Zamudio is additionally entitled to general damages, as well as non-economic damages for emotional distress and attorney fees.
Initially, Zamudio had filed a discrimination complaint with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, but that action was effectively closed as a result of her request for an immediate Right to Sue notice, which she was granted.
If you have been a victim of wrong-doing by the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department, contact The Okorocha Firm at 1-800-285-1763.
Additional Resources:
Zamudio v. County of Los Angeles, et al., Feb. 8, 2013, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, Western District
More Blog Entries:
9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals: Inmate-Guard Sex is Presumed Harassment, Sept. 28, 2012, Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog
