Latina former Chaminade Prep School employee tentatively settles discrimination suit

A Latina former employee of  Chaminade College Preparatory's middle school has reached a tentative settlement in her lawsuit in which the breast cancer survivor alleged she was not given reasonable work conditions given her health and that she was wrongfully fired in 2021.

Chaminade is a private Catholic preparatory institution with a middle school encompassing grades 6-8 in Chatsworth and a high school in West Hills that enrolls students in grades 9-12. Plaintiff Linda Gaona was the events and volunteer activities manager at Chaminade's middle school. Now 57, Gaona contended that she was discriminated against due to her race and age and that she suffered retaliation for taking a breast cancer-related medical leave.

On Tuesday, Gaona's attorneys filed court papers with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mel Red Recana notifying him of a "conditional" settlement in the case with the expectation a request for dismissal will be filed by Sept. 30. No terms were divulged.

In their previous court papers, school attorneys denied Gaona's allegations and said she was terminated for poor job performance.

Gaona was hired in August 2016 and she reported to Kristine Calara, the Filipino vice president of advancement at the time of her termination, according to the suit, which further stated that in her job Gaona provided hospitality for the school, planned events, organized volunteers and provided support to concessions and merchandise stores.

Gaona underwent post-breast cancer surgery twice in 2018 and while on her second medical leave, the school's human resources director called the plaintiff several times inquiring about her return date, according to the suit, which also alleges that the director accused the plaintiff of withholding information about her medical condition when Gaona was hired.

The same director denied Gaona'a request for temporary shorter work days when she returned to her job and also told her she could not have visits with her health nurse in the office, the suit filed last Oct. 24 stated.

Gaona also maintains she was the only one in her department ordered to work as a security guard during the pandemic and that she was micromanaged during her chemotherapy treatments. In addition, Calara allowed only white employees to mingle with volunteers at school events, the suit alleges.

In August 2021, a co-worker of Gaona looked directly at the plaintiff and said that although Latinos receive all benefits from school fundraising, none of them ever made donations, the suit stated.

The human resources director told Gaona in November 2021 that she was being terminated and Calera monitored the plaintiff as she gathered her belongings and said farewell to fellow employees, the suit stated.