A man who alleges he was wrongfully terminated from his job as the CEO of Greater LA Scouting in 2025 for reporting wrongdoing by members of the executive committee will have to take his claims before an arbitrator rather than a jury, a judge has ruled.
In his Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, Robert Kurkjian says he was falsely accused of bullying board members. On Tuesday, Judge Dean J. Kitchens ruled that the arbitration clause in Kurkjian’s employment contract was not one-sided in favor of Greater LA Scouting. The judge heard arguments on May 29 and had taken the case under submission.
Kurkjian’s attorneys had contended the arbitration agreement was unfair on multiple levels.
The judge placed a hold on the lawsuit pending the outcome of the arbitration and scheduled a post-arbitration status conference for March 9, 2027. Greater LA Scouting attorneys have denied Kurkjian’s allegations and say he has not suffered damages.
In his lawsuit filed last Aug. 1, Kurkjian said he was hired as CEO in February 2023 and fired in March 2025 because he complained that the organization’s general counsel was allegedly refusing to provide the information necessary to ensure that the counsel’s donation of in-kind legal services was accurately reported and compliant with statutes, rules and regulations requiring that non-profit organizations engage in accurate financial reporting.
Despite being a legitimate whistleblower, Kurkjian, a CPA, was terminated on the pretextual reason that he was intimidating board members, the suit alleges. At the time of his firing he was owed a retention bonus earned in 2024 and which should have been paid at the end of that year, but was never given to him despite his repeated requests, the suit alleges.