Denver layoffs include longtime employee suing city for discrimination
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston's administration on Monday abolished the job of longtime employee Jessica Calderon, a Latino woman and senior director in the Mayor's Office of Social Equity & Innovation, as part of this week's layoffs, according to a termination notice reviewed by Axios.
Why it matters: Calderon is in an ongoing lawsuit against the city over alleged sex and national-origin discrimination, political retaliation and First Amendment violations. Her job elimination is intensifying scrutiny of how Johnston's team is handling Denver's first layoffs in more than a decade.
Flashback: In 2024, Calderon — a 21-year municipal employee — sued the city, the mayor's office and her boss Ben Sanders, Denver's chief equity officer.
- She alleges Sanders repeatedly confronted her about her ties to and support for Lisa Calderón (no relation), a community activist and former mayoral candidate. Calderón, who ran in 2023 against Johnston, is also a vocal critic of him.
- The lawsuit claims she was denied promotions and responsibilities that were given to male colleagues — and that the retaliation has continued.
The latest: City rules require layoffs to follow a matrix of four factors: skills, abilities, performance and years of service. Calderon argues those rules weren't applied to her — and says Sanders, her immediate supervisor and a named defendant in the lawsuit, personally eliminated her position.
- Her attorney, Steven Murray, said in a statement that Calderon is "considering all legal options" to challenge her termination.
The other side: Mayoral spokesperson Jordan Fuja said the city couldn't comment on individual personnel decisions.
- Sanders did not respond to Axios Denver's request for comment Monday night.
By the numbers: The city is laying off 171 people — about 1.6% of Denver's roughly 11,000-employee workforce — and cutting a total of 928 positions to help close a projected $200 million budget gap in 2026.
The bottom line: Some city leaders have already raised concerns about potential legal blowback. Calderon's case suggests those lawsuits may already be on the horizon.
Go deeper: Laid-off Denver employees must give up right to sue to get severance