SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. — The City of South Lake Tahoe has agreed to pay $265,000 to settle a California Civil Rights Department complaint alleging that a city employee experienced workplace harassment, disability discrimination and retaliation after requesting a reasonable accommodation.
The settlement, announced Tuesday, Nov. 10, by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), also requires the city to train all supervisors on California’s workplace protections for employees with disabilities.
The agreement resolves allegations involving a city employee who claimed that a supervisor threatened termination or pressured the employee to resign shortly after a disability-related workplace accommodation was requested.
The city agreed to the settlement without admitting wrongdoing.
Employee Allegedly Told to Resign or Face Termination
According to the state agency, it received the employee’s complaint in 2025.
The employee alleged that shortly after requesting a reasonable accommodation related to a disability, a supervisor entered the employee’s office and initiated a meeting lasting approximately 30 minutes.
During that meeting, the employee alleged the supervisor presented two options: resign or face termination.
The employee further alleged that the supervisor’s treatment became worse after an internal complaint was filed with the city.
The CRD characterized the allegations as involving harassment, discrimination and retaliation connected to the employee’s disability-related accommodation request.
The agency did not identify the employee or supervisor in its public announcement.
$265,000 Settlement Includes Training and Compliance Requirements
Following an initial investigation, the Civil Rights Department offered the employee and the city an opportunity to resolve the allegations through voluntary mediation.
The resulting agreement establishes four obligations for South Lake Tahoe:
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$265,000 payment: The city will compensate the employee for alleged harms and lost wages.
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Supervisor training: All city supervisors will receive training on California’s legal protections for workers with disabilities.
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Employment reference: The city will provide the employee with a neutral employment reference as needed.
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Compliance reporting: The city must report to the Civil Rights Department on its compliance with the settlement terms.
The mediation was conducted by Attorney IV Mediator Mary Leichliter.
Importantly, the settlement is not a judicial finding that the city violated employment discrimination laws. The city agreed to resolve the complaint without admitting wrongdoing.
State Emphasizes Employer Obligations Under California Law
The settlement highlights California’s legal requirements for employers when workers request disability-related accommodations.
Under the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), employers with five or more employees generally must provide reasonable accommodations for qualified employees with physical or mental disabilities unless doing so would create an undue hardship.
Reasonable accommodations can include changes to work schedules, modified job duties, medical leave, relocation of a work area or specialized equipment.
Employers are also required to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process with employees to identify possible accommodations.
The Civil Rights Department explains that employers cannot simply disregard accommodation requests. The process requires an individualized assessment of the employee’s needs and the essential functions of the position.
More information is available through the department’s Reasonable Accommodation guidance.
Civil Rights Director: Employees Are Entitled to Good-Faith Review
CRD Director Kevin Kish said the settlement reinforces the importance of protecting employees who seek changes to their working conditions because of a disability.
“Punishing an employee for asking for changes to their work environment is against the law,” Kish said.
“Everyone is entitled to a good-faith review of any disability-related requests on the job. Through this settlement, the City of South Lake Tahoe is taking important steps to address and prevent any future instances of disability discrimination in the workplace.”
For South Lake Tahoe, the agreement establishes financial compensation for the employee while requiring the city to strengthen supervisor training and demonstrate compliance with the settlement.
What Happens Next?
The city must fulfill the settlement’s financial, training, employment-reference and reporting requirements.
The state agency’s announcement does not identify the employee, disclose the specific accommodation requested or provide details about the employee’s position within city government.
It also does not identify the supervisor involved or describe any separate disciplinary action.
The settlement was reached through mediation following an initial state investigation, rather than a court judgment.
For El Dorado County residents who work for public agencies or private employers, the case serves as a reminder that disability-related workplace protections extend throughout California.
Employees who believe they have experienced workplace discrimination, harassment or retaliation can contact the California Civil Rights Department.
Information about filing a complaint is available at calcivilrights.ca.gov/complaintprocess.
Primary source: California Civil Rights Department — Nov. 10, 2026, South Lake Tahoe Settlement Announcement and Settlement Document (PDF).
