Suzanne Ruelas v. City of Baldwin Park, et al.

Summary

Plaintiff Suzanne Ruelas sued Baldwin Park after retiring in 2019. She alleges she was forced to resign after voicing complaints about decisions made by the city's finance director, in addition to being discriminated against due to her age and ethnicity after accusing the city's CEO of supposedly making racially insensitive comments. Baldwin Park maintains Ruelas only lodged her complaints after being denied a raise.

Outcome

Verdict for the defense.

Blog Posts

|VIDEO| How The Nickname This Attorney Gave an Employer Helped Key a Wrongful Termination Trial Win
Aug 22, 2025

Calif. Jury Rejects Former City Employee’s $6.7M Wrongful Termination Lawsuit: Watch Trial on CVN
May 28, 2025

Former CA City Employee’s Wrongful Termination Trial Begins - Watch Online via CVN
May 12, 2025

Case Information

Attorneys

Witnesses

Plaintiff: Ruelas, Suzanne
Defense: City of Baldwin Park

Judge: Stephen Czuleger
Jurisdiction: Superior Court of California, Los Angeles
Court: Spring Street Courthouse

Case Number: 20STCV17682
Industry: Employment, Government
Practice Area: Employment Law

Plaintiff

Ruelas, Suzanne

Represented By:
Madjidi, Mahru (Shegerian & Associates)
Gbewonyo, Aaron (Shegerian & Associates)

Defense

City of Baldwin Park

Represented By:
Skelton, Savannah (Leal Trejo APC)
Gatley, Steven (Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP )
Ettienne, Lerae (Ettienne Law PC)

Expert Witnesses

Lay Witnesses

SESSIONS

Attorney

Witness

Type

Description

AM Session

Openings

14 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:06:21	Opening Statement	Madjidi, Mahru
00:20:28	Opening Statement	Skelton, Savannah
00:38:52	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Castagnola , Marc	In Person
01:20:06	Break
01:41:56	Witness Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Castagnola , Marc	In Person
01:58:32	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Castagnola , Marc	In Person
02:00:01	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Castagnola , Marc	In Person
02:01:01	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Castagnola , Marc	In Person
02:03:26	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Castagnola , Marc	In Person
02:05:42	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Rodriguez, Luis	In Person
02:18:51	Witness Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Rodriguez, Luis	In Person
02:30:41	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Rodriguez, Luis	In Person
02:38:41	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

16 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Averell, Carol	In Person
00:54:19	Witness Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Averell, Carol	In Person
01:30:16	Break
01:49:12	Witness Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Averell, Carol	In Person
02:06:37	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Averell, Carol	In Person
02:12:40	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Averell, Carol	In Person
02:20:17	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Martinez, Benjamin	In Person
03:02:40	End of Session

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

12 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

9 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Martinez, Benjamin	In Person
00:23:17	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Berumen, Manuel	In Person
00:33:45	Witness Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Berumen, Manuel	In Person
00:41:51	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Reading, Dr. Anthony M.D.	In Person
01:25:14	Break
01:44:41	Witness Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Reading, Dr. Anthony M.D.	In Person
02:32:01	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Reading, Dr. Anthony M.D.	In Person
02:42:12	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Khayoyan, Dr. Arsine	In Person
03:01:01	End of Session

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

8 Chapters

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

5 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
01:06:43	Witness Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
01:28:13	Break
01:47:19	Witness Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
02:58:37	End of Session

MAY

AM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
01:21:00	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
01:33:53	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
01:36:12	Break
01:57:05	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Tam, Rose	In Person
02:54:29	Witness Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Tam, Rose	In Person
03:23:56	End of Session

PM Session

Plaintiff Witness(es)

7 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Tam, Rose	In Person
00:02:08	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Tam, Rose	In Person
00:04:41	General Case Activities
00:06:21	Witness Direct Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Bravo, Michelle	In Person
00:21:36	Witness Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Bravo, Michelle	In Person
00:25:03	General Case Activities
00:25:39	End of Session

MAY

AM Session

Defense Witness(es)

8 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Rothberg, Dr. Jack	In Person
00:14:14	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gatley, Steven	Rothberg, Dr. Jack	In Person
00:19:27	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Rothberg, Dr. Jack	In Person
00:25:33	Witness Direct Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Farfan, Richard	In Person
01:19:04	Break
01:38:46	Witness Direct Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Farfan, Richard	In Person
02:14:34	Witness Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Farfan, Richard	In Person
02:56:34	End of Session

PM Session

Defense Witness(es)

10 Chapters

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	Witness Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Farfan, Richard	In Person
00:39:51	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Farfan, Richard	In Person
00:59:33	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Farfan, Richard	In Person
01:06:57	Witness Direct Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Lozano, Manuel	In Person
01:29:10	Break
01:48:14	Witness Direct Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Lozano, Manuel	In Person
02:13:35	Witness Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Lozano, Manuel	In Person
02:43:57	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Lozano, Manuel	In Person
02:45:35	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Lozano, Manuel	In Person
02:51:28	End of Session

MAY

AM Session

Closings

3 Chapters

PM Session

Closings

5 Chapters

MAY

PM Session

Verdict

8 Chapters

MAY

Recording Disclaimer: This proceeding was recorded in full.

Suzanne Ruelas v. City of Baldwin Park, et al.

Summary

Outcome

Blog Posts

SESSIONS

Suggest a Trial

CVN Essentials

Video Library

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:04	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Thomas, Laura	In Person
01:46:13	Break
02:05:39	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Thomas, Laura	In Person
03:11:42	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:39	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Thomas, Laura	In Person
00:07:28	Witness Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Thomas, Laura	In Person
00:47:21	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Thomas, Laura	In Person
00:56:24	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Thomas, Laura	In Person
00:58:14	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Romo, Gustavo	In Person
01:45:34	Break
02:06:29	Witness Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Romo, Gustavo	In Person
02:20:37	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Romo, Gustavo	In Person
02:27:10	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Romo, Gustavo	In Person
02:32:05	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Carasco , Eileen	In Person
02:44:51	Witness Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Carasco , Eileen	In Person
02:54:22	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Carasco , Eileen	In Person
02:55:22	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Carasco , Eileen	In Person
02:57:14	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Averell, Carol	In Person
03:18:44	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:44	Witness Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Martinez, Benjamin	In Person
00:21:17	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Martinez, Benjamin	In Person
00:28:11	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Martinez, Benjamin	In Person
00:30:16	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Curian, Shama	In Person
00:58:12	Witness Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Curian, Shama	In Person
01:23:46	Witness Re-Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Curian, Shama	In Person
01:28:24	Witness Re-Cross Examination	Skelton, Savannah	Curian, Shama	In Person
01:29:26	Break
01:51:55	Witness Direct Examination	Madjidi, Mahru	Yauchzee , Shannon	In Person
02:57:07	Witness Cross Examination	Ettienne, Lerae	Yauchzee , Shannon	In Person
03:19:58	End of Session

	Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:09	Witness Cross Examination	Gatley, Steven	Khayoyan, Dr. Arsine	In Person
00:16:54	Break	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Khayoyan, Dr. Arsine	In Person
00:21:25	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Tafoya, Robert	In Person
00:57:24	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
01:33:20	Break
01:55:20	Witness Direct Examination	Gbewonyo, Aaron	Ruelas, Suzanne	In Person
03:14:16	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:01:23	Closing Statement	Madjidi, Mahru
00:49:47	End of Session

	Description	Attorney
00:00:00	General Case Activities
00:00:27	Closing Statement	Skelton, Savannah
00:28:32	Closing Statement	Gbewonyo, Aaron
01:04:30	General Case Activities
01:43:57	End of Session

			Description	Attorney	Witness	Presence
		00:00:00	General Case Activities
		00:02:19	Break
		00:11:03	General Case Activities
		00:11:45	Reading of the Verdict
		00:21:23	Break
		00:32:32	Reading of the Verdict
		00:37:30	General Case Activities
		00:39:52	End of Session