Former City Employee Sues National City Mayor, Officials

NATIONAL CITY, Calif. -- A former city finance worker is suing National City Mayor Nick Inzunza and several city officials, claiming she was harassed, discriminated against and wrongfully terminated.

Alison C. Hunter contends in her lawsuit that Inzunza "engaged in a continuing course of conduct to remove non-Hispanics from their positions" since he was elected mayor in November 2002, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

Hunter, a finance services officer from 2000 to 2005, also alleges City Manager Chris Zapata harassed her when she informed her former supervisor of comments Zapata and Human Resources Director Alfredo Lopez made about the supervisor.

The lawsuit states that Hunter was terminated by letter, and the reasons stated in it were "false" and "misleading." The suit says Hunter, 45, had never been disciplined or received any written warnings before being terminated, according to the Union-Tribune.

Hunter's complaint also says that Lopez made inappropriate remarks to her regarding her marital status and "threatened plaintiff stating that if she did not resign, her ongoing divorce could be affected," the Union-Tribune reported.

The suit alleges Lopez "began a policy of non-random drug testing targeting non-Hispanic employees." But, according to the complaint, that stopped when the union filed a grievance against Lopez, the newspaper reported.

Hunter is seeking an unspecified amount in damages to be determined by a jury.