In a dramatic legal move, a former employee has taken her grievances to court, accusing her previous employer of severe misconduct. Camille Watts filed a complaint against Skanska USA Inc. and Skanska USA Building Inc. in the Superior Court of California, County of San Francisco on April 9, 2025. The lawsuit alleges that Skanska engaged in disability discrimination, race discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other violations of employment law.
Camille Watts' story is one marked by perseverance and adversity during her two-year tenure at Skanska as a Field Administrator. She claims that despite performing successfully and exceeding job expectations, she faced significant challenges after suffering from medical issues including dental complications and multiple COVID-19 infections leading to post-viral fatigue. According to the complaint, Watts provided necessary documentation for medical leave which was met with resistance from Skanska's HR department. An HR representative allegedly confronted her about "excessive" time off despite her documented health issues.
Watts also describes an unsettling incident involving racial discrimination at a job site where she was shown a photograph of a Proud Boys poster by a security guard. Despite reporting this to management, she believes no action was taken to address the issue or ensure her safety. Her complaints about workplace racism were allegedly met with retaliation; Skanska purportedly refused reasonable accommodations for her health conditions and ultimately terminated her under the guise of a "reduction in force," although she was the only employee laid off.
The complaint outlines numerous legal violations including failure to prevent discrimination and harassment under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), wrongful termination in violation of public policy, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Watts seeks compensatory damages for lost wages and benefits, emotional distress damages, punitive damages to deter future misconduct by the defendants, as well as attorney fees.
Representing Camille Watts is Randall Strauss from Gwilliam Ivary Chiosso Cavalli & Brewer law firm based in Oakland. The case is presided over by judges at the Superior Court of California with Case ID CGC-25-624217.