More Details Emerge in Lawsuit Involving Former Sonoma County Court Administrator

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istock_101719_lawsuit

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Recent court motions have given a clearer picture to a former Sonoma County Superior Court administrator’s lawsuit. The former Court Administrator Arlene Junior is suing Sonoma County Presiding Judge Shelly Averill and Sonoma County Superior Court for alleged workplace racial discrimination. Junior, who is black, argues she faced discrimination and that Margaret Smith, a former criminal division director, worked to undermine her. However, a motion filed to dismiss the case last month argues that Junior’s termination was justified after a series of internal investigations and other behavior did not end in her favor. Judge Averill wrote in that motion “I did not believe that Ms. Junior could continue to lead the Superior Court after multiple investigations concluded she had engaged in dishonesty and unfair treatment of a subordinate for filing a complaint against her.” Former Sonoma County District Attorney Jill Ravitch and Public Defender Kathleen Pozzi, have come to Junior’s defense in declarations calling her a good problem solver, collaborator, and is credible.