Corpus Christi City Council approves to allocate $160K toward ongoing lawsuit

3NEWS kiiitv
Author: Valerie Trevino
Published: 10:46 PM CST January 31, 2023

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Corpus Christi City Council appropriated an additional $161,000 dollars in funding to handle the lawsuit filed by former Corpus Christi – Nueces County Public Health District Director Annette Rodriguez against city leaders. 

Dis. 3 Councilmember Roland Barrera said the city has already spent $50,000 on the lawsuit prior to Tuesday's recently allocated funds. 

Rodriguez was fired back in March of last year. She filed a lawsuit later that year against Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni under the Equal Pay Act -- alleging she had experienced discrimination based on her sex and hostile work environment.

In a previous report from 3NEWS, In a letter to City Manager Peter Zanoni dated Oct. 7. 2021, attorneys Rodriguez said that Rodriguez "has experienced discrimination based on her sex and a hostile work environment." They also said that "Zanoni has a record of discrimination based on age."

The initial stages of the lawsuit taking place shortly after the City of Corpus Christi announced plans to withdraw from the join city-county health district and establish its own municipal health district. 

Rodriguez's attorneys sent a second letter that month calling that move an "egregious form of retaliation," saying they plan to report it to the appropriate authorities, including the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 

The city took full management of the health district on March. 1, of last year.  

3NEWS Reporter Ashley Gonzalez, News Director Wes Wilson and Reporter Michael Gibson contributed to this report.