San Diego Jury Awards $105 Million in Wrongful Termination and Retaliation Verdict Against Opioid Treatment Facility

Substance Abuse Counselor Fired After Reporting Sexual Harassment, Hidden Camera, and Safety Violations

SAN DIEGO, May. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- A San Diego Superior Court jury awarded $105 million in damages, including $70 million in punitive damages, to Michelle Giaquinta who is represented by Walker Law, PC and Small Law, a substance abuse counselor who was wrongfully terminated in retaliation for reporting sexual harassment and patient safety concerns at Fashion Valley Comprehensive Treatment Center, a subsidiary of Acadia Healthcare, Inc.

The verdict, delivered on May 12, 2026, in Michelle Giaquinta v. San Diego Health Alliance, Inc. (Case No. 37-2024-00002653-CU-WT-CTL), ranks among the largest wrongful termination awards in San Diego County history.

Ms. Giaquinta reported to management that she was being sexually harassed by a fellow counselor whom she believed had placed a hidden camera discovered in an employee bathroom. Although the alleged harasser admitted his fingerprints would be found on the hidden camera, management failed to report the allegations to state investigators within the legally required 24-hour window and ultimately never reported them at all.

One day after management deemed Ms. Giaquinta's complaints "unfounded," a patient ran through the facility screaming that the same counselor had sexually harassed her. Rather than report the incident to state regulators as required, the facility terminated both the alleged harasser and Ms. Giaquinta, the employee who had reported him, on the same day.

At trial, the company claimed Ms. Giaquinta was terminated for allegedly failing to properly document a patient interaction. Her trial counsel, Justin Walker and Jared Veliz of Walker Law, PC, and Will Small of Small Law, presented evidence demonstrating that management never investigated the supposed documentation issue. In fact, Ms. Giaquinta had never been cited for documentation failures and had even been praised by her direct supervisors for her documentation skills.

Through cross-examination, defense witnesses admitted that regulatory auditors arrived on site the day after Ms. Giaquinta was suspended without pay. Plaintiff's counsel argued that management fired Ms. Giaquinta to prevent her from disclosing the company's failure to adequately address her safety and harassment reports, failures that culminated in the patient incident.

The jury found that management had unlawfully retaliated against Ms. Giaquinta and that its conduct rose to the level of malice, oppression, and fraud, warranting a $70 million punitive damages award.

"This verdict sends a clear message that no employer, especially one entrusted with the care of vulnerable patients, can silence a courageous employee who speaks up about harassment and safety failures," said Justin Walker of Walker Law, PC. "Michelle did exactly what the law asks of every employee, and she paid for it with her job. The jury's verdict restores her name and holds this company accountable."

SOURCE Walker Law PC