Former zoo employee’s wrongful termination lawsuit dismissed

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA)-- A wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former El Paso Zoo employee against the city, former Zoo Director Joe Montisano and other zoo employees has been dismissed after a settlement was reached, according to court records.

Former zoo employee Anahi Chavez Villegas filed the 16-page lawsuit in December 2024, alleging her direct supervisor, John Kiseda, sexually harassed her and that city officials failed to take action.

The lawsuit said Villegas reported the alleged harassment in November 2023 to then Zoo Director Joe Montisano. According to the filing, Montisano responded by saying Villegas and Kiseda “needed to get used to each other” and discouraged her from reporting the matter to human resources.

Villegas alleged Montisano told her to report future concerns directly to him so he could handle them internally. The lawsuit said human resources later acknowledged her complaint.

Court filings alleged that during the first months of 2024, both Montisano and Kiseda began treating Villegas unfairly. In April 2024, Villegas was fired after missing work with permission, according to the lawsuit.

Montisano previously faced 10 formal complaints, according to city records reported earlier by ABC-7.

The case was dismissed with prejudice, meaning it cannot be refiled. Court records show a settlement was reached, though the terms were not disclosed publicly.

Montisano has since resigned from the city. Kiseda remains employed by the city, according to records.

ABC-7 reached out to Montisano, Villegas’ attorney and the City of El Paso for comment. The city declined to comment, and Villegas’ attorney did not respond. Montisano also did not respond to requests for comment.

ABC-7 also asked the city to facilitate contact with Kiseda, but the request was denied.