A former Golden State Cider cellar supervisor filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Superior Court alleging retaliation, discrimination based on his disabled son, and wrongful termination under the California Family Rights Act. His son was born three months prematurely in 2024, and he took four months of parental leave to care for him. After returning, the company initially agreed to a half-day every other Friday accommodation for medical appointments. After raising concerns about a new attendance policy he received a negative performance review, was written up, placed on administrative leave, and ultimately terminated.
A former employee of Golden State Cider has filed a lawsuit alleging the Healdsburg company retaliated against him for taking time off to care for his premature baby, as first reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms). Emilio Arellano, a cellar supervisor who worked at the popular Bay Area cider company for nearly eight years, filed the suit in San Francisco Superior Court on Tuesday.
Rather than honoring the law or the values it claims to uphold, GSC punished Mr. Arellano for becoming a father and for daring to advocate for himself and others. His termination was not the result of poor performance, absenteeism, or misconduct; it was the inevitable outcome of a retaliatory culture that sees caregiving as a liability and compliance as optional.
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