Joanna Francescut is suing Shasta County for wrongful termination. The former Assistant Clerk and Registrar of Voters was fired by Clint Curtis shortly after his being appointed by the Board of Supervisors. The date of termination was May 27th of last year, so the lawsuit had to be filed before the statute of limitations expired. The suit cites discrimination based on age, gender and religion. It also alleges harassment and retaliation by Supervisors Kevin Crye and Patrick Jones for her following State and Federal Elections Law. Francescut had worked for the department for 17 years, and was second in charge, but she was fired through a memo that did not state a cause. She had been running the department from December of 2023 when Cathy Darling-Allen went on leave until June of 2024 when Tom Toller was appointed. Francescut filed a claim with the county in November, but did not receive a response. The suit was filed May 19th.
-Steve Gibson