Candidates for a 25th Judicial District judge vacancy will be interviewed on Sept. 8 at the Finney County Courthouse. Gavel
San Diego, California – A jury has awarded nearly $17 million to a San Diego woman who said she was harassed, retaliated against, and ultimately fired after reporting safety concerns while working as a clinical psychologist in a California state prison.
Dr. Beth Fischgrund sued the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, claiming she was punished for speaking out about unsafe working conditions and later blacklisted from working in any state facility. The Sacramento County jury sided with her last week, awarding her $14 million in damages and another $3 million for defamation connected to her time at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad.
Fischgrund’s attorneys described the verdict as a decisive win. “This was a complete and total victory, vindication, and validation of Dr. Fischgrund,” attorney Lawrance Bohm said in a statement.
The case began when Fischgrund raised concerns about an inmate who had made violent threats against her. According to court filings, she reported that the inmate had told her he would “cut her head off” if they were “in my world.” Despite the threat, prison officials did not issue a “staff separation alert,” the standard procedure meant to prevent an inmate from interacting with the staff member they threatened. Fischgrund said her supervisors dismissed her fears, calling the inmate’s statements “not credible.”
The lawsuit also detailed a broader pattern of misconduct within the prison. Fischgrund accused another doctor of making sexual and inappropriate comments toward her and said officials knew about previous complaints against him but took no action. When she emailed prison headquarters and colleagues to document her safety concerns, she was fired two days later for “misconduct,” according to the complaint.
After her termination, Fischgrund said she discovered she had been blacklisted from other correctional facilities. She alleged that CDCR officials made false statements about her conduct and professionalism, damaging her reputation and her ability to find work.
The jury agreed, finding that the department not only retaliated against Fischgrund but defamed her after her firing.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation declined to comment on the verdict, citing ongoing legal review.
