WHISTLEBLOWER AND RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CASE BROUGHT BY FORMER CHIEF JUDGE KAREN CLOPTON AGAINST CALIFORNIA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION SETTLES IN COURT

SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 21, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta, a law firm specializing in civil rights cases, today announced that the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has settled a lawsuit brought by former Chief Judge Karen Clopton for retaliation in response to her protected whistle blowing activities and for complaining about racial discrimination. The California Superior Court found there were triable issues of fact regarding Chief Judge Clopton's claims that the CPUC retaliated against her after she called out unethical collaboration between the CPUC and PG&E and claimed racial discrimination. The case settled before a trial date could be set due to delays caused by COVID-19.

"Too many times, Black women who fight racism in institutions become victims of retaliation," said Jane Brunner, one of the attorneys representing Clopton. "Karen Clopton was not willing to stand by while the CPUC permitted racism to continue, especially in the Bay Area. The settlement indicates that the CPUC knew it was wrong."

Chief Judge Clopton served as the Chief Administrative Law Judge for the CPUC for almost a decade, where she managed the submission and adoption of decisions by the commission. In the same year as her dismissal, Clopton was awarded the American Bar Association's Robert B. Yegge award for outstanding contribution in the field of Judicial Law and was elected to the Board of Governors for the National Association of Administrative Law Judiciary, where she has since been re-elected twice and currently serves. She was also the 2010 winner of the American Bar Association's Mary C. Lawton Award for Outstanding Government Service from the Section on Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice.

Appointed by Mayor London Breed to the San Francisco Human Rights Commission in 2018, Clopton was elected Chair in 2021. Commissioner Clopton is an accomplished author and lecturer on corporate, legal and judicial ethics, corporate governance, environmental regulatory practices and procedures, workplace diversity and discrimination issues, sexual harassment prevention and investigation policies.

Clopton was represented by Dan Siegel and Jane Brunner of Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta. Siegel is a renowned civil rights attorney, known for winning multi-million-dollar whistle blowing cases against the State of California, including the Commission on Teacher Credentialing backlog case.

"Karen Clopton stood up against the corruption of PG&E and the CPUC and for racial equity at the Commission," said Siegel. "I am glad we were able to accomplish a decent resolution of her case at a time when the courts were not functioning due to Covid-19, and most defendants refused to settle anything."

About Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta

Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta is a 35-year old East Bay law firm specializing in civil litigation, particularly cases involving civil rights, employment and labor law, sports law, personal injury and wrongful death, education law, students' rights, discrimination, and business law.

The firm's principals are experienced trial attorneys and active community leaders who have received numerous civic and legal awards. The practice represents individuals, community organizations, businesses, and labor unions throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and nationally.

SOURCE Siegel, Yee, Brunner & Mehta