In November 2016, plaintiff Timothy Norman, Ph.D., a clinical director in his 70s, was dismissed from his position at Hanna Boys Center, a residential treatment center for teenage boys that was associated with the Santa Rosa diocese of the Catholic Church. Prior to his termination, Norman emailed the executive director to express his concerns about staff safety. He claimed the staffers did not feel the executive director was providing them with the support they needed to deal with bullying and violence that was allegedly taking place. After Norman emailed his concerns, he was called into two meeting in the fall of 2014. Norman then wrote letter to the executive director in April 2015, citing continued concerns about allegedly serious fights, assaults and , and noting that he had already talked with two trustees about the matter. Shortly thereafter, Norman was suspended for three days and barred from the campus. In September 2016, a local pediatrician and regent for Hanna Boys Center called a trustee about his own concerns, particularly regarding reports of bullying and violence, including a sexual assault case between two students. A special meeting was then held on Oct. 15, 2016 to address safety issues and other considerations. During the meeting, the executive director spoke about four situations, including two instances of a drug overdose and a case in which one boy was reportedly assaulted with a lint brush while he was sleeping. However, Norman spoke up and stated that he thought the executive director had minimized several serious incidents. Norman was fired 23 days later. Norman sued the operator of the treatment center, Hanna Boys Center Inc. Norman claimed no action was taken after he went to the executive director and other senior management about his concerns about rising instances of physical and psychological intimidation and abuse involving students. He alleged that he informed the executive director that staffers felt that they were not being provided with the support they needed to deal with the alleged bullying and violence that was taking place, but the executive director responded by telling the staff that they could leave if they were not happy. He also alleged that after he emailed his concerns, he was retaliated against by being called into two meetings and that when he informed the executive director that he had already talked with two trustees about his concerns, the executive director responded by suspending him for three days and barring him from the campus, thereby ensuring that he could not attend the trustees’ semi-annual meeting. Norman further claimed that he was informed a month later that he was prohibited from taking his concerns to the trustees and that he would be terminated if he did so again. In addition, Norman claimed that during the special meeting on Oct. 15, 2016, the then-chairman asked for his perspective regarding the alleged safety issues and other considerations, and promised that there would be no retaliation for speaking candidly. However, Norman claimed that when he accused the executive director of minimizing several serious incidents, he was fired in retaliation for speaking up. Hanna Boys Center denied Norman’s allegations and claimed that its board members conducted a prompt, comprehensive and independent investigation of the incidents involving the cited students. It also denied doing anything inappropriate or unlawful in regard to Norman’s treatment and termination., Norman worked as Hanna Boys Center’s head of clinical care for 31 years before his dismissal. His work included overseeing therapists and guiding treatment plans. He claimed he suffered a loss of earnings as a result of his termination and that this caused him emotional distress. Norman sought recovery of lost wages and damages for his emotional distress as a result of losing his position. He also sought recovery of punitive damages.