A Redwood City emergency dispatcher has sued San Mateo County, claiming she was retaliated against after reporting her supervisor to human resources, conduct she says left her so stressed she went on medical leave and later miscarried. According to the complaint, the alleged behavior continued even after she went to HR, and the dispatcher says the environment became so intolerable that she quit before she was scheduled to return to her regular shift.
The lawsuit, filed Dec. 29, 2025, identifies the plaintiff as Kelcey Nuqui. She says she was hired on Feb. 20, 2024, to work at the county’s Redwood City dispatch operations center and was supervised by a man named Matt Delfin. The complaint alleges Delfin asked her out on pre-planned dates in January 2025, sent flirtatious text messages such as “good night pretty girl,” and continued to control notes about her job performance and potential promotion. The county, through County Attorney John Nibbelin, told reporters it believes the lawsuit contains an incomplete, inaccurate, and unsupported version of events, according to Palo Alto Daily Post.
Nuqui’s complaint also accuses Delfin of repeatedly invading her personal space at work, including sitting, standing and bumping into her, and says that after she reported his behavior, employees who were friendly with him began to belittle and bully her. According to the filing, colleagues wrapped a string around her desk to mark off a perimeter, and Delfin cut it. After she went to HR, he was removed as her direct supervisor but allegedly told her he would “look out for her.” The suit says Nuqui went on medical leave in May 2025 for stress and anxiety, received a text from an acting supervisor referring to her leave as a “seemingly extended paid vacation,” and ultimately resigned on July 14, 2025, one day before she was supposed to return. She attributes a miscarriage during her leave to what she describes as an intolerable working environment, per Palo Alto Daily Post.
Legal protections for employees who report misconduct
California law prohibits employers from retaliating against workers who report suspected violations or workplace wrongdoing to a supervisor or human resources. Those protections are spelled out in Labor Code section 1102.5. The statute provides for remedies that can include attorney fees, and a 2024 statutory change created a 90-day rebuttable presumption of retaliation in certain situations, a timing rule that can make it easier for employees to establish a prima facie case, according to legal analysis from K&L Gates.
How this fits a larger pattern in county offices
San Mateo County has wrestled with several high-profile personnel disputes in recent years, including an $8 million settlement of a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment in the Sheriff’s Office, a reminder that workplace complaints have repeatedly escalated into litigation and questions about county leadership and policies, per PR Newswire. That backdrop helps explain why a retaliation claim inside a county agency is drawing heightened interest from employees and the broader public…