Chipotle owes fired manager $8 million for wrongful termination, jury says

FRESNO, Calif. — A California Chipotle manager accused of stealing $626 and fired in 2015 was awarded nearly $8 million for wrongful termination.

Jeanette Ortiz, a general manager at the restaurant making about $70,000 a year, was fired while on medical leave, accused of stealing money from a safe, according to The Fresno Bee.

When Ortiz and her attorneys asked to see the surveillance video, they were told it had been erased, according to the Bee. Her attorney also said Chipotle upper management could not provide text messages or notes that gave reasons for Ortiz's firing.

The court ruled that Ortiz, who had worked 14 years with the company, was a victim in a scheme to fire her for filing a workers' compensation claim for carpal tunnel syndrome in her wrist related to her job, according to the Bee.

A Fresno County Superior Court jury deliberated for four hours Thursday before awarding Ortiz $6 million for emotional distress and $1.97 million for loss of past and future wages, according to the Bee.

"We are disappointed with the verdict in this case and plan to appeal this decision," Chipotle spokesman Chris Arnold told Nation's Restaurant News.

Cox Media Group