National City is fighting back in a high-stakes courtroom sequel after a jury awarded former police officer Ashley Cummins $10 million in a workplace discrimination case last year. With interest and legal costs piling up, that bill is now pushing toward $15 million, a tab big enough to rattle the city’s public safety budget. This spring, city leaders voted to bring in outside attorneys to press an appeal as the meter keeps running.
What Jurors Found And How The Money Adds Up
In March 2025 a San Diego jury concluded that Cummins had been sexually harassed, discriminated against and retaliated against while working at the National City Police Department. Jurors awarded her $10 million, broken down into about $166,452 in past economic losses, roughly $1.4 million in future economic losses and about $4.2 million each for past and future noneconomic damages, according to Hogue + Belong. Post-trial motions were denied in June 2025, leaving the verdict on the books while the parties moved into the next legal round.
City Brings In Outside Lawyers And Files Appeal
In late March the City Council signed off on expanding its use of outside legal services as it pursues an appeal, according to City Council minutes. Council members said raising the not-to-exceed amount for those services was meant to keep all legal options open while officials sort through how to respond to the verdict.
Interest Pushes Judgment Toward $15 Million
Attorneys for Cummins say that once attorney fees and other costs are added, the total has climbed to about $14.7 million and is accruing post-judgment interest at roughly 7 percent. That rate is adding more than $2,600 a day to what the city owes, The San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
How A Payout This Size Hits The Budget
National City’s police department runs on roughly a $33 million annual budget, according to the city’s FY 2026 budget presentation. A $14.7 million judgment would represent a hefty chunk of a single year’s spending for that department. Budget slides also show the city tapped about $9 million in reserves last year to close a funding gap, which council members say leaves less room to maneuver for other services. Those figures are drawn from the city’s FY 2026 budget presentation.
Allegations That Drove The Verdict
Trial testimony and court filings laid out claims of lewd messages, demeaning remarks and personnel decisions that Cummins says followed her 2018 hiring, and jurors ultimately found that conduct unlawful. Her lawyers say she has not been able to return to a law enforcement career and that she remains determined to see the case through the appeals process, according to trial filings.
What Happens Next As The Case Drags On
The appeal moves the dispute to a higher court and could delay any final payout while judges review the verdict, but interest and fees continue to build in the meantime. Cummins’ attorneys told The San Diego Union-Tribune that interest alone is costing taxpayers thousands of dollars every day. For now, council members are left trying to balance legal strategy against day-to-day service needs as National City wrestles with a judgment that could significantly reshape its near-term budgets.
