Jury awards plaintiff $1.2 million in Doa Ana County wrongful termination suit

A jury found Dona Ana County wrongfully terminated an employee after she reported alleged discrimination by a supervisor.

The 12-member jury awarded Kim Stewart $1.2 million Thursday evening.

Stewart, a former internal affairs investigator for the county, contended she was fired in retaliation for her investigation of then-Animal Control and Codes Enforcement Supervisor Curtis Childress. He was accused of discriminating against Hispanic and African-Americans in the department, her attorney said.

It is unclear if the county confirmed or dismissed the allegations against Childress. The 7-day civil trial only concluded Stewart was wrongfully terminated. He is still a county employee.

Among those called to testify during the trial were former County Attorney John Caldwell, former County Manager Brian Haynes, former Sheriff Todd Garrison and current Human Resources Director Debra Weir.

Stewart’s attorney told ABC-7 this verdict can be appealed, though it is rare for appeals courts to overturn a decision made by a jury in a civil trial.