On April 1, 2011, plaintiff David Bryant, 50, a collection supervisor for San Diego Gas & Electric Co., was terminated from his position. Bryant claimed he was terminated in retaliation for blowing the whistle on illegal collection activities, such as SDG&E by targeting poor, high-density neighborhoods with late payment fees and various penalties for service cutoff and reconnection without properly allowing those customers a chance to pay. Bryant sued SDG&E for wrongful termination in violation of public policy and retaliation under Labor Code § 1102.5. Bryant also alleged SDG&E acted with malice, oppression and fraud in its decision to terminate him in retaliation for whistleblowing. Bryant claimed that in 2008, utility managers began telling SDG&E workers to start hand-delivering delinquent notices, with charges of $9, in high-density, low-income areas, such as central San Diego. He also claimed that high-income homes were given a break because the notices were more spread out and determined to be less cost-effective in reaching them. Bryant alleged that when he complained about which customers were getting the notices, he was fired. SDG&E claimed that after an investigation, it determined that Bryant engaged in extremely inappropriate conduct for a supervisor and that this conduct violated company policies. Thus, it claimed it appropriately terminated Bryant for misconduct., Bryant worked for SDG&E for 23 years before ultimately being terminated on April 1, 2011. He sought recovery of past and future lost wages, emotional distress damages, and punitive damages.