Felipe Arballo, a former employee of a prominent financial services company, has filed a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and discrimination. The complaint was lodged by Arballo on March 17, 2025, in the Superior Court of California, County of Santa Clara against Charles Schwab & Co., Inc., and Rob Boyd. This legal action brings to light serious allegations including disability discrimination, political retaliation, and defamation.
The plaintiff, Felipe Arballo, claims that his employment with Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. began on August 23, 2024, but was unjustly terminated on November 20, 2024. According to the complaint, Arballo alleges that he faced discrimination due to his disclosed disability—anxiety—and because of his past political engagements as a Democratic candidate for public office. The lawsuit asserts that Rob Boyd, who served as Arballo's supervisor at Charles Schwab & Co., exhibited annoyance towards Arballo's anxiety-related behaviors and opposed his political ideologies. The complaint states that Boyd frequently discussed conspiracy theories contrary to the Democratic party's beliefs.
Arballo further accuses the defendants of falsely inducing him to relocate from Fresno County to Santa Clara County under the pretense of long-term employment opportunities. He alleges that after disclosing his past political candidacies during an inquiry about his resume details, he was abruptly terminated for "personal conduct," which he contends is false and defamatory. The termination reason was communicated to FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory Authority), affecting his professional reputation and future employment prospects.
The lawsuit highlights multiple violations including the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA) for disability discrimination and failure to prevent such discrimination; Labor Code sections concerning retaliation for political engagement; false inducement to relocate; wrongful termination in violation of public policy; and defamation. Arballo seeks compensatory damages for economic losses such as lost wages and benefits, emotional distress damages due to humiliation and mental anguish caused by the alleged wrongful acts. Additionally, he requests punitive damages citing malice or reckless indifference by the defendants towards his rights.
In pursuit of justice, Arballo demands reinstatement to his former position or equivalent employment with Charles Schwab & Co., along with amendments to his U-5 form—a critical document in financial services employment—to remove any adverse remarks related to his termination. Furthermore, he seeks coverage for legal costs incurred during this litigation process.
Representing Felipe Arballo is attorney Amanda B. Whitten from Bryant Whitten LLP based in Fresno, California. The case is presided over by Judge M. Bui under Case No. 25CV461182 in the Superior Court of California.