Wrongful Termination Lawyer in Fullerton

If you experienced wrongful termination at a Fullerton workplace, you have strong protections under California law. We represent employees only, never employers, and offer a free, confidential consultation. 1-800-371-3088.

What Is Wrongful Termination in Fullerton

California is an at-will state, but the at-will rule has many exceptions. The leading case is Tameny v. Atlantic Richfield Co. (1980) 27 Cal.3d 167, which established the public-policy tort: an employee fired for refusing to commit an illegal act, for asserting a statutory right, or for reporting illegal conduct can sue in tort. Other Fullerton wrongful-termination grounds include FEHA (Cal. Government Code section 12940), Labor Code section 1102.5 (whistleblower retaliation), Labor Code section 6310 (Cal/OSHA retaliation), Labor Code section 232 (wage-discussion retaliation), and Labor Code section 132a (workers' compensation retaliation).

Fullerton Industries Where Wrongful Termination Claims Are Most Common

• Higher-education workers - at California State University, Fullerton (CSUF - largest CSU campus by total enrollment, more than 41,000 students) and Fullerton College (1913 - the oldest continuously-operating community college in California, part of NOCCCD).
• Healthcare workers - at Providence St. Jude Medical Center (101 East Valencia Mesa Drive, (714) 871-3280) - a 320-bed faith-based, non-profit acute-care hospital.
• K-12 education workers - at the Fullerton Joint Union High School District (1,001-5,000 employees per LinkedIn) and the Fullerton School District.
• Public-sector workers - at the City of Fullerton (303 W. Commonwealth Avenue), Fullerton Police Department, and Orange County government.
• Legacy aerospace and current manufacturing workers - at the former Hughes Aircraft Fullerton campus (founded 1957; Raytheon acquired Hughes in 1997 and sold the 293-acre Fullerton site to developers; many former workers continue to live in the area) and at other light-industrial operations along Orangethorpe Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue.
• Retail and restaurant workers - in downtown Fullerton along Harbor Boulevard and Commonwealth Avenue, at Amerige Heights Town Center, and at Fullerton Town Center. Fast-food workers at chains with 60+ national locations earn the $20/hour AB 1228 floor.

Fullerton Mass-Layoff Notice Rights

If you were part of a Fullerton mass layoff, the California WARN Act (California Labor Code sections 1400 through 1408) requires covered employers with 75 or more workers to give 60 days' advance written notice of a mass layoff of 50 or more employees in any 30-day period, a plant closing, or a relocation. Federal WARN (29 U.S.C. sections 2101-2109) applies to employers with 100+ employees. Damages: up to 60 days of back pay and benefits, plus an additional civil penalty of up to $500 per day under federal WARN if notice is not given to the local government. SB 617 (effective January 1, 2026) expanded the required notice content. Note: the historic Hughes Aircraft / Raytheon Fullerton operations were sold to developers after Raytheon's 1997 Hughes acquisition; former workers from those operations may have continuing Cal-WARN, age-discrimination, or trade-secret-related claims even though the operations no longer exist in Fullerton.

California Law

For the full California framework, including Tameny, Labor Code section 1102.5, FEHA, Cal-WARN, and public-employee due-process rights, see our California employment law page.

What Compensation Can You Recover

Back pay, front pay (or reinstatement where appropriate), emotional-distress damages, punitive damages (unlimited under FEHA and under the Tameny tort), 60-day Cal-WARN back-pay damages where applicable, and attorneys' fees and costs (Cal. Government Code section 12965(c); Labor Code section 1102.5(j)). For details, see our California employment law page.

How to File a Wrongful Termination Claim in Fullerton

FEHA charges go to the California Civil Rights Department (CRD), 320 W. 4th Street, Suite 1000, 10th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90013. Federal charges go to the EEOC Los Angeles District Office, Roybal Federal Building, 255 East Temple Street, 4th Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Whistleblower and wage claims can be filed with the California Labor Commissioner (DLSE Santa Ana Office, 2 MacArthur Place, Suite 800, Santa Ana, CA 92707, phone (714) 558-4910). Civil suits are heard at the Orange County Superior Court, Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive West, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Call us at 1-800-371-3088 before any deadline.