A former maintenance supervisor for the Cesar Chavez Foundation has tentatively settled his lawsuit against his ex-employer, in which he alleged he was subjected to harassing conduct from a manager who told him she would be his “toxic wife.”
Manuel Alvarez also contended he was wrongfully fired in 2022. His attorneys filed court papers Friday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Richard Fruin informing him of a “conditional” settlement in the case with the expectation a request for dismissal will be brought by Aug. 16.
No terms were divulged.
In their previous court papers, foundation attorneys denied Alvarez’s claims “in their entirety” and also contended he suffered no damages.
The Cesar Chavez Foundation is a non-profit organization that continues the union leader’s legacy of social justice and community empowerment. Alvarez was hired as a maintenance supervisor and porter in January 2022 and he was 56 years old when he sued in March 2024.
The same month Alvarez was hired, the building manager told the plaintiff, “I’m going to be your toxic wife, that’s how close we’re going to work together,” according to the suit.
Within two months, the building manager asked Alvarez to meet with her in her apartment on the job site property to discuss work-related tasks even though she had an office on the same premises, the suit states. During their first meeting in the manager’s apartment, she entered her bedroom, changed her clothes with the door open and asked Alvarez, “You’re not married, right?,” according to the suit.
Alvarez contacted human resources to reported the visit as well as the manager’s statement to him to refrain from speaking to female residents, but nothing was done, the suit stated.
After Alvarez hurt his right hand, the building manager unexpectedly hired someone to help him with projects and said, “You might need help cause you’re not young anymore,” according to the suit, which further stated that Alvarez was terminated in August 2022 while still under injury-related work restrictions.
Alvarez contended he lost his job due to his age and in retaliation for complaining about work-related harassment.