Former UCSF employee Todd Senigar filed a third lawsuit against university regents Monday, alleging he was fired from his position at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland (Calif.) in 2012 for previously retaliating against UCSF, according to The Daily Californian.
Mr. Senigar filed a lawsuit against UC regents in 2009 alleging he faced racial discrimination while employed at UCSF. A jury ruled in favor of the UC system in September 2011. The same year, Mr. Seingar was terminated from his position at UCSF.
Mr. Senigar filed a second lawsuit against the university in 2012 claiming he was terminated for filing his first lawsuit and for additional discrimination he faced on the basis of a work-related disability. Mr. Senigar won the lawsuit and received $50,001 from the university, the report states.
According to the most recent lawsuit filed, Mr. Senigar said he obtained a position at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland following his termination from UCSF in 2012. He alleged hospital officials "began to treat him differently" after the children's hospital and UCSF began negotiating a potential merger, according to the report.
Mr. Senigar said he was "suddenly terminated" from the children's hospital in October 2012. One of Mr. Senigar's supervisors at the children's hospital allegedly confirmed "the sudden hostile work environment stemmed from communications with the UC," according to the complaint.
The complaint also alleges the university withheld Mr. Senigar's disability benefits for seven months after he was terminated from UCSF in 2012, and that officials denied him full benefits after his disability was approved, the report states. Mr. Seingar also claimed the amount he received in benefits was based on an incorrect, lower salary amount than he was reportedly making while employed at UCSF.
A UC spokesperson told The Daily Californian the university could not comment on the case, but said UC is "committed to maintaining a workplace free from discrimination, harassment and intimidation of any kind."
To read the full report, click here.