Lawsuit Claims DIR Investigator Was Fired for Cooperating With Auditor's Probe

A wrongful termination complaint filed by a former investigator for the California Department of Industrial Relations is shining new light on the abrupt retirement of the agency’s former director last year. Socorro Tongco in December accused the DIR of illegally firing her in retaliation for cooperating with a state auditor investigation into a whistleblower complaint that was reportedly filed against Christine Baker, the former DIR director who retired March 30. Tongco claims Baker directed DIR employees to intimidate and harass her after learning that she was cooperating wit...