John Elway Toyota Race Discrimination

Case Description

Case Type: Race Discrimination
Company: John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota

Timothy Sandquist is an African-American male, who was a knowledgeable, high-performing, and hardworking employee at John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota for more than 10 years. He started at the dealership as a Sales Representative in 2000 and worked his way up to Sales Manager in early 2008. During the two years Mr. Sandquist assumed the duties of the General Sales Manager, without the official title or the pay, the dealership had its most successful years selling cars, attaining the Toyota President’s Award two years in a row.

Despite Mr. Sandquist’s enormous success at and loyalty to the dealership, he was passed over for promotions, denied salary increases, and harassed on the basis of his race. After persevering for four years against the ongoing discrimination and hostile work environment that permeated John Elway’s Manhattan Beach Toyota, Mr. Sandquist was forced to resign in 2011.

However, before the Los Angeles Super Court could even address Mr. Sandquist’s claims, the litigation became focused on the interpretation of the company’s arbitration agreement. When this trial court held that the arbitration agreement compelled individual arbitration, Sanford Heisler Sharp successfully appealed the decision in the Second District. Currently, the case is pending before the Supreme Court of California. For more information about the status of this case, please refer to case number S220812.