City of Coachella being sued by employee over allegations of retaliation

Update 5/7/24

The city of Coachella shared a statement responding to the lawsuit and the allegations made by the city employee.

"The City of Coachella denies the allegations made by Mr. Chris Oppenheimer, City Inspector, and his attorney, Mrs. Megan Beaman-Jacinto, former City of Coachella Council Member. While the City is precluded from commenting on the substantive of the allegations since they involve personnel matters, it is confident that the litigation will reveal that the City at all times acted appropriately and in accord with applicable labor laws.  The City of Coachella always has been and remains a great place to work and live."

Original Report 5/6/24

A building inspector has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Coachella due to allegations of retaliation.

The lawsuit was filed last month on behalf of Chris Oppenheimer by attorney and former Coachella city councilmember Megan Beaman Jacinto.

In the lawsuit, which was provided to News Channel 3 by Beaman, Oppenheimer accuses the city and his supervisor of retaliating against him in his employment due to his "protected activities."

The activities include his reports of unlawful operations of businesses, personal support of political candidates, demands to be paid for all hours worked, and opposition to harassment and discrimination, the lawsuit shows.

The suit also alleges that the defendants failed to accommodate his disabilities on multiple occasions and have retaliated against him.

Oppenheimer has been with the city since Nov. 2019, when he was hired as Building Inspector II, according to the lawsuit.

The city of Coachella responded to our request for comment, saying they're working on a statement they expect to release tomorrow.

Stay with News Channel 3 for continuing updates on this case.