The Dolores Huerta Foundation finds itself on the receiving end of the very legal framework it helped create.

A former employee has filed a 25-page lawsuit alleging workplace and financial misconduct. Ruth Sanchez, who worked for the organization for five years, claims she was wrongfully terminated after raising concerns about how a $95,000 grant she obtained was handled. According to the complaint, those funds were misused, and her efforts to raise internal concerns led to her being fired.

ABC News reports that the lawsuit details 11 separate claims, including allegations of unpaid wages. Sanchez states she consistently worked 60-hour weeks without proper overtime pay and is still owed 110 hours of wages. The case, initially filed in September 2025, is now attracting more attention as new details come to light.

The legal case is particularly notable. California’s labor laws, strengthened over the years by individuals like Huerta and aligned organizations, were designed to put the employee first, and the penalties can be severe.

The foundation and its co-founder have already been in the public eye following recent personal allegations involving Huerta and the late Cesar Chavez. The added scrutiny from a workplace lawsuit intensifies pressure on an organization that has long positioned itself as a moral authority on labor rights.

This case will test whether advocacy groups are held to the same standards they promote, and whether California’s worker protection laws apply equally to all institutions.