Suit alleges medical issues from pregnancy and stress prompted harassment
A former Citrus College employee is suing the college for allegedly firing her due to her pregnancy.
Crisanta Serrano was hired at Citrus in July 2008 and was terminated Jan. 20, 2016.
The case was filed a year and a half later on June 22, 2017.
The lawsuit accuses the college of wrongful termination, emotional and physical distress by her supervisors during and after her pregnancy.
“The individual was dismissed from employment for cause,” said Robert Sammis, director of human resources.
Serrano’s complaint says harassment for her pregnancy began on July 21, 2014. She included accounts of verbal abuse, forced isolation, and failing to share event dates and information on her medical leave.
The complaint alleges the termination caused Serrano to lose money and made her pregnancy more stressful.
Serrano was admitted to an emergency room for stress-related bleeding.
Sammis, staff diversity officer Brenda Fink, and  confidential administration assistant Sandra Coon are all named in the complaint.
Allegations against the employees range from verbal abuse to forcing Serrano to work in a basement.
Serrano’s complaint said Coon made hostile comments about her health issues. After a visit to the emergency room for stress-related bleeding Serrano alleges Coon told her she is “going to be stressed after the baby…you might as well adjust now.”
Sammis is also accused of making hostile remarks in the complaint.
“Serrano was speaking to a co-worker when Sammis yelled at her, ‘Don’t you have any work to do?’ and ‘Don’t you have any filing to do or something else, Crisanta?'” the complaint says.
The complaint claims Fink and Coon purposely isolated Serrano from her coworkers.
According to the complaint, Fink “emailed Serrano and told her that she could attend the Convocation event, a campus-wide event that most faculty and students attend, only if she accepted her ‘Collaboration’ award and immediately went straight back to work.”
Sammis denied all allegations.
“The individual was dismissed from employment for cause,” Sammis said. “She went through a hearing before a neutral arbitrator, and that arbitrator found there was sufficient cause for dismissal.”
Sammis said he would not change any actions taken.
“No, we do it the same way,” Sammis said. “We do everything by the rules.”
Citrus College’s superintendent Geraldine Perri, who was mentioned in the suit, commented by email.
“Please know that it is not the college’s practice to comment on personnel matters in an effort to respect the privacy rights of an employee/former employee,” Perri said in the email.
Vice President of Academic Affairs and a previous coworker of Serrano, Arvid Spor declined to comment on the case.
A former student worker in human resources, Alicia Beckley, said she worked during the time Serrano was there. Beckley said she doesn’t remember Serrano being harassed but said she was. Beckley said she was fired from her position May 2016.
Now a UCLA graduate, Beckley said while she did enjoy working with Sammis and Kai Watree-Jackson, the human resources office was “a very hostile environment.”
After a file was missing, Beckley said she thought coworkers may have sabotaged her work.
“Honestly, I was really upset at first, like you know, it’s a very shocking experience to be praised as a worker for so long and then just being let go,” Beckley said. “So I did struggle internally with self esteem after that.
“I would not recommend anyone to work there. And I’ve had many jobs before that job. I’ve worked in food service, I’ve worked in office work prior to that. I’ve never been let go, never been terminated for anything.”
Citrus College denying all claims leveled by Serrano.
“We deny each and every one of the allegations and assert that she was terminated for cause as was bound and upheld by a neutral arbitrator,” Sammis said.
A status conference between the parties is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. on Nov. 7, in Department 58 at 111 N. Hill St. Los Angeles, Calif.
