The former CEO of Palm Springs, Calif.-based Desert Healthcare District, who was terminated in May, filed a claim against the district alleging retaliation. The district’s board of directors has rejected it, Uken Report reported Sept. 27.
The board voted unanimously May 26 to terminate Chris Christensen as CEO without cause, in accordance with the terms of his contract. The vote was announced after a closed session during the board meeting. Before the closed session, Mr. Christensen spoke to the board and alleged his annual review process began in March but had been delayed several times, including a presentation rescheduled for June.
Mr. Christensen filed a claim against the district Aug. 14 seeking damages exceeding $10,000, according to the notice of government claim published by Uken Report. The claim alleged certain members of the board retaliated against him for several reasons, including cooperating in an investigation of a former CEO, opposing discriminatory hiring practices and reporting board member conduct. His attorney alleged Mr. Christensen suffered economic damages in the form of lost income and benefits, as well as emotional damages.
The board considered the liability claim filed by Mr. Christensen in closed session Sept. 22, and the district gave notice the next day that it had been “rejected in its entirety.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s, the district pointed to the report from the Sept. 22 closed session, in which attorney Jeff Scott said the board “unanimously rejected the claim of Chris Christensen and directed the counsel to respond to the claim and take appropriate affirmative action if necessary.”
Mr. Christensen has six months to file a court action on the claim, according to the Sept. 23 notice from the district’s general counsel.
Desert Healthcare District is a local government agency that primarily operates as a grantmaking organization, according to its website. It also owns the Desert Regional Medical Center campus, which is leased to and operated by Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare.
Becker’s has reached out to Mr. Christensen and will update this story if more information becomes available.
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