CA State Treasurer Fiona Ma Sued For Sexual Harassment, Discrimination, Wrongful Termination

Former employee alleges Ma had sexually harassed her, terminated her over race after stroke recovery.

California Globe:

State Treasurer Fiona Ma was sued for sexual harassment, discrimination, emotional distress, and wrongful termination earlier this week by a former Treasury Department Employee.

According to the lawsuit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, former Executive Director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, Judith Blackwell, began being pressured shortly after receiving  the Executive Director position in September 2019. As Blackwell now had to stay late, Ma began paying for hotel rooms and meals for her and her chief of staff. Blackwell alleges that Ma soon began asking to share a A

According to the lawsuit, throughout 2020, Ma was soon giving Blackwell expensive gifts ranging from jewelry to marijuana to close parking spots in Sacramento. By May, Ma allegedly promised to make Blackwell her deputy Treasurer while also having her and her chief of staff live in a rented Sacramento home. There, Blackwell alleges  that Ma had tried to sleep with her in her bed.

However, after having a stroke in September and being out for two months recovering from it, Blackwell soon faced a backlash, the lawsuit says. In a span of a few months, Blackwell lost many perks, including her parking space, was given more difficult tasks, and in January, was fired without cause.

Blackwell alleges Ma had a pattern of pushing out senior African-American employees, and those who faced recovery such as herself, both race and disability discrimination, according to the lawsuit.

“Plaintiff felt the work environment to be hostile as she felt her employment was contingent on her accepting Defendant Ma’s sexual advances,” said Waukeen McCoy, Blackwell’s lawyer, in the suit. “As a result of Plaintiff denying Defendant Ma’s advances, she was terminated from her employment.” more here