Wood

I. BACKGROUND

Wood resigned from her job at the Pioneer Fire Protection District (District) on March 9, 2018. Nearly six months later, on Friday, September 7, 2018, Wood presented a claim to the County of El Dorado (County). In it, she alleged she had worked at the District as the district administrative secretary/assistant for five years until she was constructively discharged on March 9. Wood alleged she was harassed and retaliated against by the board of directors and District personnel for reporting what she understood to be unlawful activity, including “improper use of District funds,” and because her husband had made his own complaints. On September 12, 2018, the County rejected the claim, explaining that “[t]he Pioneer Fire Protection District is a separately constituted and governed public agency over which the County of El Dorado exercises no administrative or operational control. Any liability alleged to arise out of the conduct of employees or directors of the Pioneer Fire Protection District does not create a justiciable controversy between your client and the County of El Dorado.” On September 21, 2018, Wood presented a claim to the District. The District returned…