On an April Friday before Fresno Unified’s safety and security manager was to go on extended medical leave to address returning cancer, Charlene Cardoza’s supervisor called her into his office for discipline.

Cardoza needed to have a cancerous hip removed and undergo extensive rounds of chemotherapy, a regimen she would likely be on for the rest of her life, according to a lawsuit filed against the district last week.

Cardoza’s manager wanted to punish her for a seemingly meaningless dispute about employee-of-the-month awards. The punishment brought up fears she would lose her job and her insurance three days before going into surgery, the lawsuit states.

She has returned to work after exhausting her time off. In contrast, other Fresno Unified employees have been on paid administrative

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