Southern California Rapid Transit District v. Superior Court

Petitioners Southern California Rapid Transit District (District), Ernesto Fuentes (Fuentes) and Nick Patsaouras (Patsaouras) (collectively, defendants) seek a writ of mandate from this court compelling the trial court to grant their summary judgment motion on the complaint of the real parties in interest, Allen Laster (Laster) and Richard Yeats (Yeats) (collectively, plaintiffs).

This action arose out of the claim by plaintiffs that they were wrongfully terminated by the District from their position as employees hired by the District to investigate fraud, waste and corruption. They alleged that their terminations were in retaliation for reports made by them of suspected forgery, fraud, mismanagement and an official cover-up of such acts in connection with the certification of a minority contractor.

Defendants filed a motion for summary judgment and summary adjudication of issues as to all seven counts filed by Laster and Yeats. Although the trial court agreed with defendants on all but two of the causes of action filed by plaintiffs, it denied summary relief with respect to their second cause of action (wrongful termination in retaliation for reporting illegal conduct)…