The California Attorney General's Office is seeking dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a former Cal State Los Angeles professor who alleges she was terminated in retaliation for reporting what she believed to be unlawful sexual conduct by two underage participants in the school's gifted students program.
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In court papers filed Friday with Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dean Kitchens in advance of a Feb. 9 hearing, the Attorney General's Office states that one of the young people was simply changing clothes when seen after-hours in a kitchen by an aide to plaintiff Kidogo Kennedy, then the director of the CSULA Early Entrance Program.
Kennedy reported what she was told by the assistant to the university's Title IX officer.
"The incident was investigated promptly and on May 28, 2024, the Title IX Officer informed plaintiff that there was no evidence that sexual activity had taken place," according to the Attorney General's Office's pleadings, which further state that Kennedy's request for an additional investigation was not granted.
In her lawsuit filed July 25, Kennedy alleges retaliation under two state Labor Code sections that prohibit any backlash against an employee for disclosing a violation of state or federal law. She contends that when she raised concerns regarding the university's alleged inadequate investigation into the students' conduct, she was retaliated against and ultimately terminated.
According to the suit, despite the Title IX report conclusions, the two students themselves said that they were in a relationship and were engaging in "consensual" activities.
The suit further states that Kennedy was "stunned" when she was put on administrative leave in July 2024 because she had never before been told she had any job performance problems. Kennedy was terminated that same month without explanation, according to the suit, which additionally states that regardless of what the university may say, she contends she lost her job for engaging in "protected activities" by reporting the interactions between the minors.
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