Labor/Employment
May 27, 2026
San Diego jury awards $105M to drug counselor fired after reporting harassment
The counselor also reported a hidden camera in an employee bathroom and patient safety violations at an Acadia Healthcare-owned treatment center. The verdict included $70 million in punitive damages.
A San Diego jury awarded $105 million to a substance abuse counselor who said she was fired for reporting sexual harassment, a hidden camera and patient safety violations at a treatment center owned by Acadia Healthcare Inc.
The May 12 verdict for Michelle Giaquinta, including $70 million in punitive damages, is among the largest wrongful termination awards in San Diego County history, according to plaintiffs' attorneys. Michelle Giaquinta v. San Diego Health Alliance Inc....
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