A federal court jury exonerated the city of Sacramento on Tuesday on charges that it violated the family-leave rights of a staffer who was fired by City Councilwoman Angelique Ashby.
The panel returned its verdict after about three hours of deliberations following last week’s civil trial in front of U.S. District Judge Morrison C. England Jr.
Sarah R. Novo, Ashby’s former director of constituent affairs, filed the lawsuit four years ago. She claimed the city violated the federal Family Medical Leave Act when she was let go from her job in March 2012.
Ashby said after the verdict that the city “acted lawfully and within our guidelines” and “with the best interests of serving the people of Sacramento as our first priority.”
Sac Bee, 4/4/17; see also Sac Bee, 4/3/17.