Linda Woodbury v. The City of San Diego
(reprinted from Verdictsearch.com)
Facts and Allegations:
On November 15, 2006, plaintiff Linda Woodbury, 61 was terminated from her position as a Disabled Services Coordinator for the City of San Diego, where she had worked for seven years and made approximately $75,000 per year.
Woodbury, who is blind, was responsible for ensuring the city acted in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She was a very vocal advocate for the disabled community, which caused her to be involved in a few arguments with managers in other departments regarding compliance and accessibility laws.
About one year before being fired, Woodbury was assigned new supervisors who had difficulty working with her. She was ultimately terminated for “not working well with others” and for failing to complete an important report assigned to her.
Woodbury sued the city, alleging wrongful termination, failure to accommodate and retaliation for insisting the city comply with accessibility laws. Woodbury alleged emotional distress but did not undergo therapy.
Ms. Woodbury’s initial demand in the case was $125,000. When the city would not agree to this amount, the parties commenced litigation. Shortly before trial, the City agreed to pay Ms. Woodbury $450,000.
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