PORT ANGELES — Opening arguments will begin at 9 a.m. today in Clallam County Superior Court in the wrongful-termination civil case filed by former city Finance Director Yvonne Ziomkowski against the city of Port Angeles.
A 12-person jury was chosen late Tuesday afternoon.
Ziomkowski is seeking unspecified damages for age and sex discrimination, wrongful discharge and negligent infliction of emotional distress over being fired March 15, 2012, for cashing out hundreds of more vacation hours than were allowed under city policy.
Ziomkowski said she was singled out for violating the policy, which allowed employees to transfer the value of the hours into their retirement accounts.
She also said the state Auditor’s Office had found that no employees had intentionally committed any wrongdoing when cashing out their vacation time.
Ziomkowski has paid back $28,862 in accrued vacation leave.
The courtroom was packed with 75 potential jurors who were queried throughout the day by Judge Erik Rohrer; Port Angeles lawyer Karen Unger, representing Ziomkowski; and Seattle lawyer Shannon Ragonesi, representing the city.
