LOMPOC, Calif.–Jeff York, the former president and CEO of CoastHills Credit Union, has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against his former employer.
As CUToday.info reported here in March, York had earlier alleged he had been terminated on March 16 “without cause” because hefiled a complaint after a board member attempted to make his personal weight loss part of his 2018 performance goals.
In a statement, York said he has filed a 102-page lawsuit that includes 16 claims of misconduct against the credit union, from wrongful termination, retaliation and labor code violations, to defamation, false light and breach of contract.
“The complaint chronicles a year-long series of events and conduct against York by the credit union and its board of directors,” York alleged in the statement.
Specifically, York alleged that the impetus for the complaint is the failure of “Board Member Kate Griffith’s personal business dealings with CoastHillls and her subsequent defamatory public remarks, followed by her proposal to link York’s annual bonus to a personal weight loss goal.”
“Instead of the Board of Directors taking any action against Griffith following his and others’ complaints against Griffith, the Board acted against York and others, placing him on administrative leave and then terminating him,” the complaint alleges. “The Board’s retaliatory actions against York were clearly pretextual as they conducted a series of investigations against York, despite more than a decade of exemplary service which grew the credit union to is present financial health and community status. Their actions are costing CoastHills’ members hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
York further alleged that his termination was “without cause,” and that despite comments from representatives of CoastHills to the press claiming the termination was for cause and for “personal matters, “ the “official termination documents from CoastHills show that York was terminated ‘at will’ and for ‘no reason.’ In fact, the termination was prior to the end of his contract, violating its term.”
Another Suit Filed
According to York, who oversaw growth from $350 million to $1.1 billion in assets during his tenure, Lisa Harlow, the former senior vice president and chief human resources officer filed a lawsuit against the credit union for wrongful termination.
York also said the three other former executives with the credit union have departed and made similar complaints to NCUA and the California Department of Business Oversight.
York’s statements and allegations were released over the weekend at a time when CoastHills Credit Union’s representatives were unavailable for comment. CUToday.info will solicit a response from the credit union and, if one is provided, publish that response in future reporting.