Fresno jury awards millions to former manager in suit against Wonderful Citrus
A federal jury in Fresno awarded $4.9 million to a former high-ranking manager of Wonderful Citrus after he sued the company for allegedly firing him without cause and ruining his reputation.
The jury delivered its decision on Oct. 10 after a four-week trial before Judge Anthony W. Ishii in U.S. District Court.
Of the nearly $5 million judgment, the jury gave the 56-year-old James Jordan, $2.5 million for damage to his reputation.
“The jury vindicated him,” said his attorney Mick Marderosian of Fresno. “They vindicated him.”
Wonderful Citrus officials responded to the award with a statement: “We are disappointed by the decision. All employment actions taken by the company were made in good faith for legitimate business reasons.”
Jordan was a top boss at Wonderful Citrus, having gone from ranch supervisor to senior director of Wonderful’s northern farming division. He oversaw more than 7,000 acres of citrus.
But Jordan’s 27-year career came to a crashing halt after he was fired Nov. 3, 2017. He was accused of using company paid labor on a non-company farm.
He’s denied any wrongdoing, and sued his former employer in March of last year for age discrimination, defamation and wrongful termination.
During the trial, a company official testified Jordan was an integral part of helping to develop the company’s mandarin nursery program. Wonderful Citrus grows the popular Halo brand of mandarins and is one of the farming companies owned by billionaire farmer Stewart Resnick.
Wonderful Citrus also operates a massive packing house in Delano, just east of Highway 99.
Jordan’s attorney Marderosian said his client was known as the “go to guy” for special projects. It’s why he felt blindsided when he was handed his “Notice to Employee As To Change in Relationship” by a company official who met him in a Starbucks parking lot in Visalia.
According to the lawsuit, Wonderful Citrus provided no “valid explanation as to why Mr. Jordan had been fired. He did not receive any severance package or any bonus he was owed.”
“Mr. Jordan dedicated his entire adult life to citrus farming and he wasn’t extended the courtesy of a valid explanation as to why he was being terminated,” the lawsuit states.
Shortly after he was fired, Jordan discovered company officials told fellow employees that he was involved in “criminal activities” by changing employee time cards, according to the suit. Jordan’s attorney said his client was accused by Wonderful Citrus of using company-funded employees to work on non-company farms and charging that cost to Wonderful.
Marderosian said none of that was proven at trial. To further harm Jordan’s reputation, company officials sent out two emails in early November, one specifically announcing Jordan’s departure and another lengthy memo about an ongoing investigation into the improper use of company resources and labor for personal use.
“Even though they did not have any evidence of any theft, they sent out two emails within 40 minutes of each other,” Marderosian said. “One of the emails was about James no longer working for the company and the other one said the company won’t tolerate theft.”
About 400 employees received both of those emails, Marderosian said.
“If you want to fire someone that is one thing,” Marderosian said. “ But then to go out and run his reputation in the industry that is crossing the line.”
This story was originally published October 24, 2019 at 5:05 PM.
