Carson City Councilwoman’s Aide Sues, City Disputes Claims

Carson, CA – A former aide to Carson City Councilwoman Arleen Bocatija Rojas is alleging wrongful termination in a lawsuit against the city, claiming he was fired for raising concerns about being asked to perform personal errands. The city, however, contends the termination was based on legitimate, performance-related issues.

Lawsuit Details

Justin Battle’s lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, alleges a violation of the state Labor Code. While the suit centers on Councilwoman Rojas’ alleged actions, she is not named as a defendant. According to the lawsuit, Battle was tasked with a range of personal errands for Rojas, including picking up her daughter from school, monitoring her daughter’s email and phone calls, getting her car serviced, mowing her lawn, and transporting her sister. Our Weekly reports the suit also alleges Battle was asked to spy on another councilmember, Jim Dear.

Battle claims he reported these concerns to Assistant City Manager Robert Lennox, but the conduct continued. He alleges he faced retaliation for raising these issues, ultimately leading to his termination.

City’s Response

The city argues that Battle’s termination was due to performance-based reasons and scheduling conflicts. City attorneys state that Battle held a second job as a student supervision aide, creating availability issues that conflicted with the demands of the council aide position, which required availability after 3 p.m. MyNewsLA reports that Battle’s six-month probationary period concluded in November 2023, and he was found to have not met the required standards.

In court papers filed on March 7, 2026, the city’s attorneys asserted that the case is “not about whistleblowing” and that the law does not protect employees from termination based on routine workplace complaints.

Councilwoman Rojas’ Background

Arleen Bocatija Rojas is a longtime Carson resident and a member of the Los Angeles Police Department. She is noted as the first female Filipino-American officer in the LAPD and the city’s second Filipina councilwoman since 1993. MyNewsLA

Previous Lawsuit

This is not the first time Councilwoman Rojas has faced a wrongful termination lawsuit from a former aide. In May 2025, Ruben Jaquez filed a similar suit alleging he was fired for complaining about being asked to run personal errands and other unrelated council duties. 2UrbanGirls reported that Jaquez’s suit detailed requests such as picking up Rojas’ daughter from school, cutting her grass, and performing car maintenance.

A hearing in the Justin Battle case is scheduled for August 27 before Judge Stephen Pfahler.