A California Air National Guard brigadier general, who is Jewish and has been publicly credited with helping to lead the state's efforts to control past wildfires, is continuing his lawsuit against his former commanding officer and Gov. Gavin Newsom, asserting his supervisor allegedly trumped up charges against him to fire him to cover up the commanding officer's antisemitism, allegedly without any intervention from Newsom.
Brigadier General Jeffrey A. Magram first filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court against Newsom; Magram's former commanding officer, Major General Matthew P. Beevers; and the California State Military Department in January 2024.
The lawsuit levels charges of religious discrimination, harassment, retaliation and wrongful termination, among other counts.
The lawsuit was first made public in published reports at the time it was filed a year ago.
Interest in the case has again picked up, as state and local firefighting agencies continue to struggle to contain the most destructive wildfires in history in the Los Angeles area.
The Washington Free Beacon, for instance, reported California state documents reveal Magram was generally well regarded for decades within the California National Guard as one of their foremost specialists on suppressing and containing wildfires, as Magram helped to coordinate the state's Air National Guard's response to wildfires throughout California.
The Free Beacon report included comments from Magram's previous supervisor and Beevers' predecessor, retired Adjutant General David Baldwin, who reportedly asserted the firefighting effort would "be better off right now if Magram was on the front lines."
"'When I was adjutant general he would be the first guy that we would send' to a disaster," the Free Beacon quoted Baldwin saying.
However, in 2022, Beevers reportedly brought disciplinary action against Magram, ultimately resulting in his discharge from his post with the California Military Department.
According to published reports, charges against Magram asserted he had wrongly used Guard personnel under his command to carry out personal errands and other alleged infractions.
However, the lawsuit asserts the charges against him were manufactured or exaggerated by Beevers and his allies to punish Magram for allegedly reporting alleged Beevers' alleged antisemitism to Newsom, the Department of the Army and others.
According to the lawsuit, Magram asserts he observed "a pattern of antisemitism and bigotry" from Beevers "in the past few years."
According to an online biography published by the National Guard, Beevers had served as assistant adjutant general in the California National Guard since 2011.
Newsom appointed Beevers as adjutant general, replacing Baldwin in 2023.
According to the lawsuit, Magram claimed he witnessed Beevers make "multiple bigoted and disparaging statements" about Jewish military personnel.
For instance, the lawsuit notably expressed disfavor with "the California State Guard Leadership," saying they "were run by a bunch of 'Kike' lawyers."
According to the complaint, Magram also alleges Beevers disparaged other Jewish personnel by labeling them as "cheap," or when one negotiated a discount on a car, allegedly said, "How Jewish can you get?"
According to the complaint, Magram reported Beevers' alleged antisemitic statements and actions in a letter to Newsom and the California Inspector General. He also later reportedly filed a whistleblower report against Beevers.
According to the complaint, Magram claims Beevers then allegedly launched a campaign to remove Magram from his post within the California Military Department.
The lawsuit asserts Beevers particularly seized on an incident in which Magram claims several people under his command allegedly voluntarily offered to help Magram's elderly mother shop for groceries while she was staying with Magram, helping him to recover from surgery on his lungs, which had left him incapacitated for a time.
According to the complaint, Beevers reportedly used this, in part, to advance claims Magram was improperly directing people under his command to carry out personal tasks for him.
Magram was also accused of having a subordinate complete certain required training for him and other alleged infractions.
According to published reports, the U.S. Air Force formally censured Magram in October 2021.
The lawsuit, however, asserted Beevers coordinated the effort to remove Magram.
According to the complaint, Margam accused Beevers of allegedly intimidating a witness who was to testify on his behalf before the Disciplinary Action Board and allegedly steered the DAB to dismiss Magram and "railroad (him) out of the California Air National Guard."
The lawsuit further asserted Beevers allegedly interfered with Magram's efforts to secure a disability retirement from the state Guard.
According to the complaint, Magram and his lawyers claimed to have sent at least four letters to Newsom's office, "detailing issues with the DAB and Beevers' behavior, including Beevers' anti-Semitic statements and his interference with his disability retirement."
According to the complaint, Newsom nonetheless signed off on Magram's removal in early 2023.
"Beevers and the (California Military Department) intentionally misled the DAB, the Governor's staff, and the general public regarding Magram," Magram said in his complaint. "Magram has had a highly successful career with the California Air National Guard and Military Department, serving California and this country for nearly four decades.
"This kind of longevity of service is rarely seen, especially with the entirety of Magram's service as a California Air Guardsman. Beevers and the CMD have gone to great lengths to try to rewrite Magram's service history and have taken actions that have had an adverse impact on his public reputation and future employability.
"As a result, Defendants' discrimination and retaliation have cost Magram his salary and forced him to take an early retirement, thereby limiting the amount of pension he can receive, as well as negatively impacting his reputation."
Magram asserts his financial damages alone amount to more than $1.6 million.
He is also seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages against the defendants for "emotional distress, humiliation and injury."
He is asserting claims under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, accusing the CMD, Beevers and Newsom of religious discrimination, retaliation and wrongful termination, or failing to prevent the alleged discrimination and harassment.
According to a report published by the Military Times in January 2024, the California Military Department has issued a statement denying Magram's claims, calling the lawsuit "retaliatory and baseless."
“All actions were taken based on independent investigations by the U.S. Air Force and the Military Department Inspector General,” the CMD said in the statement published at that time by the Military Times. “We look forward to defending our actions to hold a senior leader accountable for his misconduct.”
Magram is represented in the action by attorney Joseph W. Singleton, of Woodland Hills.