DFEH Settles Retaliation Case Against American City Business Journals, Inc.

Sacramento -The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) has reached
a settlement in an employment retaliation case with American City Business Journals, Inc. (“ACBJ”).

A former editor in Silicon Valley filed a complaint with DFEH in March 2017 alleging he was
terminated by ACBJ for pretextual reasons once ACBJ found out about his civil complaint against a previous employer.

DFEH found cause to believe a violation of the Fair Employment and Housing Act had occurred, and the parties participated in settlement negotiations. The parties reached a settlement in which ACBJ will pay complainant $170,000 in lost wages and emotional distress damages as well as $12,500 to DFEH for its attorney fees.

“Employers violate the law when they retaliate against employees who exercise their rights under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (“FEHA”),” said DFEH Director Kevin Kish. “FEHA protects employees from retaliation by their current employers even when employees exercise their FEHA rights against their former employers.”

In addition to a monetary settlement, ACBJ has agreed to ensure that its anti-discrimination and
anti-retaliation policies comply with FEHA, provide supplemental anti-discrimination and antiretaliation training to its human resources and management staff, and confirm its antidiscrimination workplace postings comply with FEHA.

Senior Staff Counsel Gregory Mann represented DFEH in this proceeding. ###

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.

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