Court Dismisses Lawsuit Against Chevron, Ombuds and Others

Last week, a U.S. Federal District Court judge in San Francisco dismissed a case filed against Chevron Corp., subsidiary companies and several employees, including the corporate Ombuds. In his complaint, Samuel Johnson alleged that discrimination and retaliation lead to his suspension and firing in 2006. Before filing the lawsuit, Johnson had consulted with Chevron's Ombuds and attempted an informal resolution with his supervisors, who were eventually named as individual defendants. The court dismissed the case on a procedural motion after determining that the plaintiff's case was factually insufficient. The case is an unpublished decision available only from subscription services. (Johnson v. Chevron Corp., 2009 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 42422 (N.D. Cal. May 19, 2009).)