The Briefing
• The City of Fresno agreed to pay $1.7 million to resolve a wrongful termination and harassment lawsuit brought by a former Fresno Police Department sergeant.
• The plaintiff, Stacie Szatmari, alleged she was sexually harassed by members of the K-9 unit and fired after trying to stop the conduct.
• City Council approved the settlement in a closed session meeting in November 2025.
• Szatmari had served with the department for nearly two decades before her 2022 termination.
By MES Dispatch staff
FRESNO, CA — The City of Fresno agreed to pay $1.7 million to a former Fresno Police Department sergeant to end a lawsuit alleging wrongful termination and sexual harassment, officials confirmed Jan. 30.
The agreement was approved by the Fresno City Council in a closed session in November 2025, according to city and legal representatives.
The plaintiff, Stacie Szatmari, served with the Fresno Police Department for nearly 20 years before her termination in 2022, the lawsuit said. She alleged she was subjected to repeated sexual harassment by members of the department’s K-9 unit.
Szatmari’s lawsuit claimed she was wrongfully fired after attempting to halt the inappropriate conduct; the settlement ends the litigation without an admission of liability by the city.
Fresno Police Chief Mindy Casto declined to comment on the settlement. Szatmari’s attorney described the case as “amicably resolved.”
Terms of the settlement are expected to fully resolve all claims raised in the suit.