The City and individually-named defendants intend to file their responsive pleadings on or before May 10, 2013.
City of Santa Paula responds to MacKinnon lawsuit
April 17, 2013
Santa Paula News
On March 20, 2013, former Santa Paula Police Chief Stephen MacKinnon filed a lawsuit for wrongful termination, breach of contract and the infliction of emotional distress, among other claims.
The complaint names the City, Councilmember Robert Gonzales and City Manager Jaime Fontes as defendants. Yesterday, Mr. MacKinnon served the Summons and 45-page complaint on the City.
In the complaint, Mr. MacKinnon claims he was wrongfully terminated from his position as Chief of Police and, as a result, suffered emotional distress and other damages. While Mr. MacKinnon avers that his termination was part of a conspiracy to hide misconduct by various City officials and employees, including Councilmember Gonzales and Mr. Fontes, the City is confident that the complaint’s legal contentions have no merit and its factual assertions will be proven false at the time of trial. The City intends to vigorously defend the lawsuit.
