A former security guard has dropped her lawsuit against her ex-employer in which she alleged she was wrongfully fired in 2020 for criticizing the firm for allegedly not enforcing coronavirus safety measures that had been implemented by a client.
On Friday, attorneys for plaintiff Sheena Christian filed court papers in Los Angeles Superior Court asking that the case against Gardena-based American Guard Services Inc. be dismissed “with prejudice,” meaning it cannot be refiled. The court papers do not state if a settlement was reached or if Christian is not pursing the case for other reasons, but the attorneys filed court papers in January stating that the parties were involved in mediation.
In their previous court papers, AGS attorneys denied Christian’s allegations and stated that any actions taken by the company concerning her were for “lawful business reasons and in good faith.”
Christian sued in December 2022, also alleging whistleblower retaliation. Her court papers stated that she was hired in April 2019 and was stationed at the DHL Express Gateway location near Los Angeles International Airport, where she was under AGS supervision. She oversaw inbound and outbound delivery trucks, persons and personnel on the premises, according to the suit.
DHL administered COVID-19 safety measures in March 2020, but AGS failed to enforce the rules in areas under its control, including the rooms where Christian and other security guards gathered to take their breaks, the suit alleged.
Christian expressed her concerns about the allegedly unsafe work environment to her supervisor repeatedly, specifically asking that her supervisors enforce the DHL mask wearing and social distancing rules, especially while indoors in close quarters with other employees in areas under AGS control, the suit stated.
However, AGS superiors dismissed Christian’s concerns and instead warned her not to tell anyone about the allegedly risky conditions because they did not want to lose their business at the DHL Express Gateway location, the suit stated.
COVID-19 increasingly spread among AGS employees, according to the suit, which further stated that Christian began to directly ask her colleagues to social distance.
“Several employees responded argumentatively and told plaintiff that (she) did not have any authority to ask this of them,” the suit stated.
Christian told her superiors in September 2020 that if they did not enforce COVID-19 safety measures, she would call a health department or other authority to report the safety issue, which brought a warning from AGS that if she did so she would be fired, the suit stated.
Christian also sent a text message to a supervisor with images of the allegedly unsafe work environment to her complaints, hoping AGS would take her concerns seriously, but instead she was fired about a week later, the suit stated.