FORMER SANTA CLARA City Manager Deanna Santana is suing the city for numerous allegations, including breach of contract, retaliation and harassment.
The suit, filed Aug. 14 in Santa Clara County Superior Court, says Santana is seeking damages for withheld wages and emotional distress for an amount of more than $50,000. The City Council fired her in 2022. The lawsuit also claims councilmembers terminated her in retaliation for publicizing deals made by the San Francisco 49ers on behalf of Levi’s Stadium for the FIFA World Cup without consulting the city.
The lawsuit claims Santana revealed the team was withholding FIFA-related legal documents from the city, which Santa Clara officials should be privy to considering the magnitude of the event and amount of public resources required.
“Not only did Ms. Santana uphold her duties to the City and its residents, she became a whistleblower by advising the City Council at a public meeting of illegal activities that would harm the City,” the lawsuit reads.
Therese Cannata, Santana’s lawyer, said her contract is a public document, and Santana performed her contractual duties until her final day. She said the city violated Santana’s contract by retaliating against her for whistleblowing about the 49ers.
“As alleged in the complaint, Ms. Santana risked her job and her career to stand up to very powerful persons,” Cannata told San José Spotlight. “She now has the right to tell her story to a jury of her peers.”
Santana alleges the city...
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