PHOENIX — A judge has thrown out a wrongful-termination lawsuit filed by five former workers of Arizona's child-welfare agency.
The Arizona Republic reported Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Robert Oberbillig ruled Thursday ruled the five didn't offer a valid claim for what they claimed was a politically motivated firing last year.
Oberbillig also rejected arguments they were entitled to compensation and other relief under common-law exceptions, such as protection from firing if they were carrying out lawful orders from their supervisors.
The five women were at-will state employees, meaning they had few job protections.
They were part of a specialized team formed to help Child Protective Services deal with a mounting backlog of work.
An attorney for the five fired workers says no decision has been made on whether to appeal.