This Law Firm Publication by Jackson Lewis P.C. discusses Mendoza v. Western Medical Ctr. Santa Ana, in which the California Court of Appeals reversed a judgment in favor of an employee who claimed he was wrongfully discharged in violation of public policy and alleged that he was terminated in retaliation for complaining about sexual harassment. The Court ruled that the trial court erred when it instructed the jury that the employee was required to prove that his complaint was “a motivating reason” rather than “a substantial motivating reason" for his termination. The Court ordered a new trial, finding that there was a reasonable probability that the erroneous jury instruction was prejudicial.