Joanna Francescut, a former Assistant Registrar of Voters, is leading the race for Shasta County’s clerk and registrar of voters with nearly 59% of the vote. Despite her likely victory, Francescut is pursuing a lawsuit against Shasta County, alleging wrongful termination, discrimination, and harassment.

Allegations and Lawsuit Details

Francescut, who served the Shasta County Elections Office for 17 years, was dismissed from her role last year by the current Registrar of Voters, Clint Curtis, shortly after his appointment. Her lawsuit, filed on May 18, claims she faced discrimination based on age, gender, and religion, and was wrongfully terminated. The lawsuit names several county officials, including District 1 Supervisor Kevin Crye and County Executive Officer David Rickert, as alleged perpetrators.

The lawsuit also details incidents where Francescut refused requests from county officials that she believed violated California election laws. These included retaining ballots beyond the legal period and accessing recall petition signatures without authorization.

Election and Legal Proceedings

Francescut’s lawsuit was filed two weeks before the June 2 election, leading to speculation about its timing. However, Francescut stated that the election results would not affect her legal actions. The lawsuit does not specify a monetary amount but seeks punitive damages to deter future misconduct.

The first hearing in the case is scheduled for February 16. Meanwhile, Francescut’s lead in the election remains strong, with about 11,000 ballots still to be counted.

Original reporting: Shasta Scout (Redding) — read the source article.