A former assistant to Carson Councilwoman Arleen Bocatija Rojas alleges that he was wrongly required to do family duties, together with mowing her garden, and to make use of LAPD monitoring instruments for the council member’s private profit.
In a lawsuit filed by the previous metropolis of Carson worker in opposition to town in 2024, Justin Battle argues that he was terminated resulting from his complaints in regards to the alleged unlawful conduct and his refusal to have interaction in it. Battle additionally states within the criticism that Rojas repeatedly requested him to “spy on and video and document” a fellow council member, Jim Pricey.
The town’s attorneys responded to the go well with in courtroom paperwork filed final week, arguing that the case ought to be dismissed as a result of he was terminated “for respectable efficiency causes and never due to office complaints.”
Battle was first employed by town in 2019 as a recreation assistant. He additionally labored as an administrative intern earlier than receiving the job of council aide to Rojas in March 2023. His place was terminated by November of that 12 months.
Whereas he labored with Rojas, Battle’s criticism alleges, she required him “to be on name 24/7” and do her private errands. Along with mowing her garden, he says he was requested to plan her holidays and choose up dry cleansing. The lawsuit additionally says Battle would choose up Rojas’ daughter and use LAPD e-mail authorization to “monitor” her daughter’s telephone utilization.
Battle additionally alleges that Rojas requested him to spy for her by monitoring when Pricey’s girlfriend or spouse would go away. Battle says he refused.
The courtroom doc states that Battle raised his issues about this “improper and unlawful conduct” to Assistant Metropolis Supervisor Robert Lennox on “quite a few events.” In accordance with the criticism, Lennox reportedly advised Battle he would communicate to Rojas about this, however the requests didn’t cease.
When working this place, town’s attorneys’ courtroom paperwork say, Battle had a second job at an LAUSD center faculty, the place he labored 30 hours every week. The papers allege that his working hours on the faculty and with town overlapped.
The town’s attorneys argue in new paperwork that when town evaluated his work efficiency, “he had not met the required requirements of the full-time place, given his unflexible scheduling calls for, which didn’t enable him to sufficiently meet the wants of his council-member.”
Carson’s attorneys additionally say Battle “can not set up the important components of his whistleblower declare” and that his case lacks triable points.
A jury trial is about for June.
Metropolis Information Service contributed to this report.
