Ousted city attorney settles bias suit for $1.45M
A former city attorney for Anaheim, California, has reached a $1.45 million settlement in her discrimination lawsuit over her ouster.
The city of Anaheim said the settlement will pay the plaintiff, Cristina Talley, $750,000, and will pay her law firm $700,000, the Los Angeles Times and the Orange County Register report.
Talley, who is Hispanic, had claimed she was forced to resign after some city council members implied she could not be objective when handling matters involving the Latino community.
Talley was 56 when she submitted her resignation in January 2013. She was replaced by a less experienced, 40-year-old white man whose starting pay was higher than her final salary, her suit had alleged. She claimed age and race discrimination, as well as violation of her due process rights.
A spokesman for the city said Anaheim officials decided to settle to avoid additional legal costs. The city has already spent about $800,000 in legal fees.
