California Supreme Court Watch

#23-187 Brown v. City of Inglewood, S280773. (B320658; 92 Cal.App.5th 1256; Los Angeles County Superior Court; 21STCV30604.) Petition for review after the Court of Appeal affirmed in part and reversed in part an order in a civil action. The court limited review to the following issue: Are elected officials employees for purposes of whistleblower protection under Labor Code section 1102.5, subdivision (b)?

Petition for review granted; issues limited: 9/27/2023

Case fully briefed: 2/13/2024

Cause argued and submitted: 4/08/2025

Opinion filed: Judgment affirmed in full: 7/07/2025

See the Court of Appeal Opinion.

See the Oral Argument.

See the California Supreme Court Opinion.  (Brown v. City of Inglewood (2025) 18 Cal.5th 33.)

“We conclude that elected officials such as Brown, the City of Inglewood’s treasurer, fall outside the definition of the term ’employee’ in section 1106 and cannot assert the protections of section 1102.5.  Accordingly, we affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeal.”

Justice Jenkins authored the opinion of the Court, in which Chief Justice Guerrero and Justices Corrigan, Liu, Kruger, Groban, and Evans concurred.