The former San Diego Association of Governments accounting official who was fired after exposing errors in the state Route 125 toll-collection system has been awarded millions of dollars as a result of her treatment.

In a decision released Monday, an arbitration judge said the regional planning agency known as SANDAG must pay plaintiff Lauren Warrem just over $2.5 million.

“The evidence was clear that Ms. Warrem suffered both economic and emotional injuries caused by the termination,” wrote Jeffrey Barton, the retired judge who acted as the arbitrator in the case.

San Diego attorney Joshua Gruenberg said he was grateful for the arbitration finding. He said SANDAG refused to settle the case for anything more than $200,000.

“We’re grateful for the arbitrator’s thoughtful decision recognizing that Lauren was retaliated against for doing her job with honesty and integrity,” he said. “This ruling restores her reputation and reaffirms that transparency isn’t just good practice — it’s the law.”

SANDAG, a $1.3 billion public agency, issued a statement saying it had no immediate comment on the ruling.

The cost of the 2023 decision to fire Warrem is likely to climb higher. The ruling from Barton also provides for attorneys’ fees that will be determined in the coming weeks and months.

Warrem worked for SANDAG for more than a decade before leaving the organization and then returning in mid-2023. But she was fired some five months later, after raising questions in a meeting with...

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