Payne & Fears Successfully Upholds Summary Judgment in Retaliation Dispute

Payne and Fears obtained summary judgment in Adrid v. Long Beach Memorial Hospital Center. Plaintiff Michael Adrid alleged that his former employer, Long Beach Memorial Medical Center, retaliated against him by wrongfully terminating his employment in violation of Labor Code section 6310 and in violation of public policy. Adrid was a retired lieutenant with the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, who worked for the hospital on a part-time basis in the hospital’s security department. Adrid alleged that he made repeated complaints about workplace safety issues and that the hospital retaliated against him by reducing his hours and ultimately terminating his employment. The hospital presented substantial evidence of a legitimate, nonretaliatory basis for Adrid’s termination in connection with its successful Motion for Summary Judgment and Adrid failed to introduce any evidence that the hospital’s stated rationale was pretextual. The Court of Appeals for the Second Appellate District affirmed the summary judgment.