In a shocking turn of events, a long-time employee is taking legal action against his former workplace, alleging a series of discriminatory practices that culminated in his wrongful termination. Sean Sadri has filed a complaint in the Superior Court of California, County of Ventura, on February 24, 2025, against Swickard Thousand Oaks Corporation and its affiliates. The lawsuit accuses the defendants of multiple violations under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) and other labor laws.
The complaint details how Sean Sadri, who had been employed at the Thousand Oaks Auto Mall since 1998 as a car salesman specializing in Mercedes automobiles, was systematically discriminated against following the purchase of the auto mall by Swickard Thousand Oaks Corporation in December 2022. Sadri alleges that after the acquisition, younger employees were favored over older ones like himself. "Defendants began assigning potential clients to younger employees," Sadri claims in his filing. Despite raising concerns about this age discrimination between January 2023 and May 2024, he was met with dismissive responses such as "Everyone is replaceable."
The situation escalated when Sadri required medical leave for open-heart surgery in May 2024. Although he kept his employers informed about his medical condition and provided necessary documentation for extending his leave until November 26, 2024, he was terminated on September 25, 2024—just four months into his medical leave. Sadri asserts that this termination was not only due to his disability but also retaliatory for his complaints about illegal activities at work.
Sadri's lawsuit lists numerous causes of action including disability discrimination, age discrimination, failure to engage in a good faith interactive process for accommodation requests under FEHA, retaliation under both FEHA and the California Family Rights Act (CFRA), wrongful termination in violation of public policy, unfair business practices under California Business & Professions Code §§17200-17208, and several violations related to wage statements and waiting time penalties.
The plaintiff seeks various forms of relief from the court: general damages for pain and suffering; compensation for past and future medical expenses; lost wages; punitive damages; civil penalties; injunctive relief to prevent further unlawful practices by the defendants; attorney's fees; and any other relief deemed appropriate by the court.
Representing Sean Sadri are attorneys Kane Moon, Christopher L. Garcia, and Ryan D. Handley from Moon Law Group PC based in Los Angeles. The case has been assigned Case No.: 2025 CLU0VT O39 164 at Ventura Superior Court.