INGLEWOOD – A judge has continued the hearing on whether to terminate $217,404 in sanctions in the ongoing wrongful termination lawsuit filed against the city of Inglewood, its mayor, and two high-ranking City administrators.
Melanie McDade-Dickens filed the lawsuit against the City after her employment was terminated in late 2019. She alleges that because she ended a consensual relationship with Mayor James T. Butts Jr. he conspired with former City Manager Artie Fields and then HR Director Jose Cortes to terminate her employment.
A law firm, whose co-founder and wife are political donors to the mayor’s re-election campaign, was tasked with performing an investigation into McDade which was used to support her termination. In fact, that same law firm is tasked with performing all investigations into City employees facing termination. The spouse has since received a multi-year contract with Metro, where Butts serves on the board of directors, and subcontracts with a marketing firm that employs Inglewood Councilman Eloy Morales Jr.
According to documents filed in the ongoing case, if the motion is successful, not only will the case end before going to trial on Oct. 28, but Melanie McDade-Dickens could be hit with $217,404 in sanctions.
A legal motion filed back in May, requests the court dismiss 3-year-old case and impose $217,404 in sanctions against McDade for refusing to “produce evidence supporting her allegations” and “engaging in a staggering pattern of discovery abuses.”
“From the beginning, the City has made clear that Melanie McDade’s case lacks merit,” said Mira Hashmall, a partner at Miller Barondess LLP and outside counsel for Inglewood, in a statement. “After violating multiple court orders and refusing to produce evidence to support her claims, her latest tactic has been to submit false documents in an effort to cover up her forgery, bank fraud, and other serious misconduct. This is a blatant abuse of the courts and warrants significant sanctions.”
McDade-Dickens’ new attorneys, who took over the case in 2022 from famed trial (criminal) attorney Carl Douglas, have opposed the motion, denying there was any obstruction and stating they have provided all of the legally required documents. They have asked for counter-sanctions of $101,600 against the city.
Superior Court Judge Lia Martin heard the party’s arguments and issued the notice of ruling on Aug. 27.
The matter is continued until Oct. 1.
McDade has revised her request for damages from $12 million to $65,204,659, but states she is willing to accept the maximum amount allowed by the city’s insurance policy — believed to be about $35 million — to drop the case against the city, Butts, Fields and Cortes.
According to court records, the trial is scheduled to begin Oct. 28.
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