Fired Arizona Child Safety Workers Seek Revival of Wrongful Firing Suit

The Arizona Court of Appeals is set to consider reviving a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by five Arizona child welfare workers fired in 2014 amid an agency scandal.

The ex-Child Protective Services employees argue they were fired in April 2014 to provide political cover to then-Gov. Jan Brewer and her Department of Economic Security director.

The state argued that the women could be fired at any time without reason.

A Maricopa County judge dismissed the suit last year, saying state law allowed their firings even if they were scapegoats.

The state’s child welfare agency was rocked by the November 2013 discovery that thousands of hotline calls were not investigated.