A former manager of a California Chipotle has been awarded close to $8 million in relation to a wrongful terminational lawsuit filed against the fast-food chain.
Jeanette Ortiz was initially accused of having stolen $626 in cash from a safe at a Fresno location. Her bosses claimed to have witnessed the theft via surveillance footage, but when Ortiz asked to see the evidence, she was told the video had been destroyed for unknown reasons.
Ortiz promptly filed a wrongful termination lawsuit, which effectively resulted in the chain being ordered to shell out $7.97 million in legal restitution.
The jury overseeing the case believed Ortiz to be a victim of an internal scheme to defame her in relation to a worker's compensation claim she filed because of an injured wrist.