Lawsuit alleges wrongful termination
EL CENTRO — A lawsuit filed last year by former Calexico Unified School District superintendent Maria Ambriz alleging wrongful termination is expected to be served on the district in the coming days.
Though the lawsuit had initially been filed in December with the county Superior Court, the district had not immediately been served with the lawsuit in the hope a settlement could be reached,
said local attorney Ryan Childers, who is serving as plaintiff’s counsel.
The lawsuit alleges that Ambriz was not only wrongfully terminated, but subjected to a breach of contract, sex discrimination, intentional infliction of emotional distress and retaliation for reporting wrongful conduct.
“That ultimately resulted in her termination,” Childers said. “You’re not allowed to retaliate against someone for bringing to light wrongful conduct.”
The lawsuit also lists current board members Ciro Calderon and Lorenzo Calderon Jr. as defendants. Both are accused of creating a hostile working environment for Ambriz because of her gender.
Calderon, Calderon Jr. as well as the district chose not to respond to requests for comment, citing the pending litigation.
Calderon is further accused of allegedly treating Ambriz in a demeaning manner beginning in 2012 until her termination in 2017.
Ambriz alleges that Calderon became visibly upset with some remarks she had made and “violently” pointed his finger at her during a closed door CUSD board meeting shortly after his election in November 2012.
“Ciro told plaintiff in a condescending and demeaning manner that she was not to speak unless spoken to, and that she was only there at the board’s ‘whim,’” the lawsuit contends.
The lawsuit contends that Ambriz was subjected to further mistreatment by Calderon after she had initiated a harassment investigation against him during her tenure.
Calderon is alleged to have become involved in “romantic relationships” with at least two CUSD teachers during Ambriz’s tenure, one of which reportedly prompted the investigation, the lawsuit stated.
He is also alleged to have repeatedly violated the state’s Brown Act governing elected bodies and officials, the lawsuit contends.
The alleged Brown Act violations stem from Calderon’s repeated “mean-spirited, demeaning, belittling and critical” emails to Ambriz that also were sent to the board’s other members.
The state’s Brown Act prohibits elected officials from having informal undisclosed meetings, and extends that prohibition to email correspondence. Calderon was reportedly dismissive of Ambriz’s concerns and allegedly told her to “report him,” the lawsuit contends.
Trustee Calderon Jr. is also accused of subjecting Ambriz to verbal mistreatment in 2017 after she allegedly failed to show him the loyalty that he reportedly had previously asked for earlier during her tenure, the lawsuit contends.
When Ambriz was initially hired as interim superintendent she was reportedly paid $130,000 annually. That salary was increased to $150,000 in September 2012 when her contract was approved by the CUSD board. The lawsuit alleges that both salary ranges were lower than her male counterparts in other smaller, local school districts.
On July 1 2016, the CUSD board subsequently raised Ambriz’s salary to $180,000 after she reportedly advised the board of the salary disparities.
She was ultimately fired on Nov. 9, 2017, about eight months before her two-year contract expired June 30, 2018. Her successor was reportedly paid $196,000 when appointed in July 2018, the lawsuit stated.
The lawsuit also alleges that the district owes Ambriz about $13,000 in compensation for 36 days of accrued vacation.