A woman who headed Sen. Bernie Sanders' California presidential campaign efforts said she was demoted a day after having cancer surgery, then forced to resign after complaining about discrimination and harassment.
Susie Shannon, who worked as the campaign's California political director, filed a lawsuit Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court saying "outrageous and compassionless conduct" from Sanders campaign staffers caused her to "forced resignation solely because she had the misfortune of being diagnosed with ovarian cancer that required major surgery to treat the disease."
Shannon's lawyer Micha Star Liberty said her client was offered money and two months of health insurance if she signed a non-disclosure agreement, which she declined.
Sanders campaign Mike Casca said, "We've not received this lawsuit, and we don't comment on litigation."
Shannon's lawsuit said she was diagnosed in September 2019, just months after taking the position with the campaign, and then had "approximately 15 inches of tumors from the ovaries that extended into her abdominal area" removed Oct. 7.
The following day, the suit alleges, the campaign's California director Rafael Navar called Shannon to let her know she had been demoted.
"Navar bluntly stated that he had no confidence in her ability to do her job given her cancer and surgery and that he was bringing in someone else to do her job," the suit reads, according to NBC News. Shannon then went to Navar's supervisor, Chuck Rocha, but Rocha "casually responded that he supported Navar in whatever decision he decided to make."
According to the lawsuit, Shannon reported Navar to the human resources director who "never did" deal with the problem. It also said Navar "continuously scolded" and "undermined" Shannon after she completed her work "fully and successfully."
Navar denied the claims, calling them "completely false," and claimed Shannon's "position never changed."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.