Law Offices of Wendy Musell PC is pleased to announce that Katherine Smith has been elevated to partner. Katherine joined Law Offices of Wendy Musell PC in December 2023. Katherine immediately brought outstanding contributions to the firm, including obtaining a seven-figure unanimous verdict in a sexual harassment and retaliation trial where she served as co-lead trial counsel. The verdict was a Top 20 Labor and Employment verdict in California in 2024. Katherine continues to bring excellence and superior results representing workers in civil rights in employment and Title IX cases. Katherine has been repeatedly recognized in San Francisco Magazine’s list of Northern California Super Lawyers in the category of Employment Litigation as a “Rising Star” from 2018 to 2024 and then a Super Lawyer in 2025. Katherine is admitted to practice in all courts of the State of California, the Northern, Eastern and Central U.S. Districts of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

A Hayward chiropractor and professor, Cedric Stewart, is facing a lawsuit filed by multiple former students who accuse him of sexual misconduct. The lawsuit, filed in February 2025, alleges that Stewart sexually abused at least five students during their time at Life Chiropractic College West, where he also worked as a professor.

The incidents reportedly occurred both at his private practice and during a conference trip in 2022. The plaintiffs claim Stewart abused his position of authority to manipulate and sexually exploit them, including making inappropriate comments and actions.

In addition to the claims of sexual misconduct, the lawsuit also targets Life Chiropractic College West, accusing the institution of mishandling the allegations. The plaintiffs argue that the college failed to take appropriate action after they reported the abuse, continuing to promote Stewart in college materials and events. The lawsuit alleges violations of Title IX and the Clery Act, as the school allegedly neglected its legal responsibilities in addressing sexual misconduct on campus.

Heather Borlase, the former Title IX coordinator at San Francisco State University (SFSU), has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination and retaliation after being fired for exposing mishandled discrimination cases. Borlase, who was hired in 2021, inherited over 400 unresolved and undocumented cases of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. She claims that she discovered additional complaints that had not been investigated and that victims may have never received any response from the university. In response, Borlase created a plan to address these issues, but the university’s leadership allegedly focused more on covering up the problems rather than addressing them.

The lawsuit details specific instances, such as a case involving a professor who showed a drawing of the Prophet Muhammad to Muslim students. Borlase believed this warranted a religious harassment investigation, but university officials told her to drop the issue, citing academic freedom. Borlase’s firing in the summer of 2023 is framed as retaliation for her efforts to enforce fair and timely investigations. SFSU responded by stating that the termination was part of a leadership change following a state audit. The lawsuit seeks compensation and damages for whistleblower retaliation, discrimination, harassment, and emotional distress.

The City of Oakland has been ordered to pay over $2.6 million after an Alameda County jury determined the city failed to protect employee Patricia Toscano from years of sexual harassment by her supervisor, Frank Knight. Toscano worked for the city for nearly a decade, and despite reporting the harassment to the Oakland Department of Human Services in 2016, the city took no action. It wasn’t until 2018, following an anonymous complaint, that an investigation confirmed the inappropriate behavior.

The investigation found that Knight had engaged in unwanted physical contact and sexually explicit comments toward Toscano, but the city failed to take appropriate action, allowing Knight to remain in his supervisory position. As Katherine Smith, a senior associate representing Toscano, stated, “This case is about the City of Oakland’s decision to protect a harasser instead of the woman he was harassing.”

Witnesses testified that Knight created a sexually hostile work environment, subjecting Toscano and others to unwanted advances and crude “locker room talk.” The jury’s unanimous verdict in Toscano’s favor underscores the importance of employers taking swift and serious action to address workplace harassment and holding accountable those who fail to protect their employees.