Laurie Eldridge, the longtime chief financial officer of Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, is taking her former employer to court, claiming she was wrongfully pushed out because of her age and then retaliated against when she spoke up, as per Sacramento Business Journal.
Background
Public profiles indicate Eldridge joined Marshall in 1990 and was promoted to chief financial officer in 2003, with her long tenure tracked by Becker's Hospital Review and other listings. Marshall Medical Center notes she was named a Sacramento Business Journal CFO of the Year honoree in 2017.
The Suit
According to a report in the Sacramento Business Journal, Eldridge has filed a complaint accusing the Placerville health system of wrongful termination, age discrimination and retaliation. The story by Chris Campbell was published on Dec. 12, 2025, and outlines Eldridge's claims against the organization where she had spent decades in leadership.
Marshall's Response
As of Dec. 12, 2025, Marshall Medical Center had not issued a public statement about the lawsuit in its online newsroom. Marshall Medical Center’s newsroom lists recent press releases and community updates, but there was no mention of Eldridge's complaint.
Legal Context
The California Civil Rights Department enforces the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act and explains that employment discrimination complaints generally must be filed within three years of the alleged conduct. The filing deadlines and administrative steps are laid out by the California Civil Rights Department.
At the federal level, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act bars discrimination against workers who are 40 or older and also prohibits retaliation against employees who assert their rights, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
What Comes Next
Employment cases like this typically move through an administrative intake process followed by discovery and pretrial negotiations. Many are resolved through settlement before a jury ever hears them. California’s AB 9 extended the deadline for FEHA claims to three years and allows workers to request an immediate right-to-sue notice before filing in court, a change described by legal analysts at Orrick.
Possible Remedies
If Eldridge ultimately prevails, potential remedies could include back pay, emotional-distress damages, reinstatement or other injunctive relief, as well as attorney’s fees, depending on what an agency or court decides. The kinds of relief available and the usual administrative steps that precede a court action are outlined by the California Civil Rights Department.
