FRESNO, Calif. — A member of the Fresno City Council is urging the city to accept a federal jury’s verdict of $15.4 million for discrimination and to avoid an appeal, stating that further legal battles would be both expensive and unfair.
In light of the jury’s ruling, which granted $15 million to former Code Enforcement employee La-Kebbia “Kiki” Wilson and $400,000 to her coworker Charles Smith, Councilmember Miguel Arias declared his opposition to any city efforts to contest the decision.
This case traces back to October 2019, when Wilson and Smith initiated a lawsuit against the city, claiming racial discrimination, as reported by The Fresno Bee. Wilson, who is Black, testified that her supervisor, Howard Lacy, consistently targeted her due to her race, resulting in a hostile work environment.
During the trial, the lawsuit revealed that Lacy allegedly referred to Wilson using a racial slur, called her an “entitled N-word,” and claimed she used her race to her advantage. The supervisor was also accused of calling Wilson “lazy” and a “piece of s**t.”
Even though these events took place prior to Code Enforcement being directly overseen by the city attorney and City Council, Arias stated that the actions occurred within the city’s framework and condemned them unequivocally.
“The conduct described in this case was wrong and reprehensible, and does not reflect the values of our city or the safe, respectful workplace every employee deserves,” Arias said in a statement. “As leaders, we must acknowledge both the strengths and the failures of the institutions we are elected to serve.”
Arias offered a public apology to Wilson and Smith for what they experienced, acknowledging that the city has now been held accountable by a federal jury.
Wilson, speaking after the verdict, said the legal battle validated her experience. “They’re exposed. They made me seem like I was an angry Black woman stereotype,” she told reporters.
The trial exposed significant differences in the city’s approach to handling complaints. In the closing arguments, the attorney for Wilson and Smith pointed out that Wilson had been reprimanded for his use of profanities, whereas Lacy had not faced any consequences despite the accusations made against him. An earlier internal investigation had determined that Lacy did not use the inappropriate language, a conclusion that was quickly challenged by the jury’s rapid deliberation—delivering a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs within just one day.
Wilson’s attorney criticized the city’s handling of the case, saying, “We proved our case, and the city of Fresno never took this case seriously. They fought it for over seven years in court, and we finally had our day in court and justice prevailed.”
Arias framed the case as part of a broader concern about how the city approaches legal disputes, drawing a contrast between settlements for police officers and the prolonged litigation faced by civilian employees.
“Too often, the City has been quick to settle claims brought by police officers while prolonging cases brought by members of the public, nonprofit organizations, and civilian employees,” Arias said. “Those decisions ultimately cost taxpayers millions more in legal fees when cases are eventually lost in court or settled after years of litigation.”
Arias said appealing the verdict would repeat that pattern, calling on the city to take responsibility and learn from past mistakes under the prior city attorney’s leadership.
“It is time for the City to take responsibility, resolve this matter, and learn from the mistakes that were made under the prior city attorney,” Arias said. “Prolonging this case through an appeal would only delay justice and increase costs to taxpayers. I will not support any further delay or an appeal of this case. Continuing to litigate would be fiscally irresponsible and the wrong decision for a city that prides itself on celebrating and protecting its rich diversity.”
However, not all council members share Arias’s position. Fresno Councilmember Mike Karbassi indicated he has not ruled out supporting an appeal, citing concerns about the financial impact on the city’s budget.
“If this judgment is upheld, there will be tough decisions ahead if we’re going to balance our budget,” Karbassi said. “While I am very sensitive to the allegations, I also have a responsibility to protect the financial well-being of our current public employees who provide vital services to the public.”
Smith, who was awarded $400,000 in the verdict, told GV Wire he plans on “starting a rock ‘n’ roll band” following the resolution of the case.
The city has not yet announced whether it will file an appeal.
