A former philanthropy officer for the American Red Cross is suing the nonprofit, alleging she was wrongfully fired for refusing an executive's order to turn over private information about an A-list celebrity who wanted to help victims of the Southern California wildfires.
Plaintiff Alison Treleaven is a professional fundraiser for non- profits with an "extensive and successful history in establishing, nurturing and maintaining relationships with donors in the entertainment industry," according to her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, which also includes allegations of retaliation and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
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Treleaven seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages as well as a court finding that the plaintiff's refusal to divulge the celebrity's private information was protected by law.
A Red Cross representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit brought Tuesday.
"This case arises from the ARC's unlawful termination of plaintiff because she refused to violate the law, the Red Cross Code of Ethics and the parameters of her job description to disclose closely held private information of an A-list celebrity who had entrusted plaintiff with this information," the suit states.
The celebrity, identified in the suit only as A.J., is known worldwide for her acting and philanthropy, but that has also made her a target of stalkers, including one who physically attacked her at a 2010 red carpet event, the suit states.
Relying on Treleaven's reputation, the celebrity contacted the plaintiff to "assist and aid in the relief efforts for the damage caused by the extreme wildfires that struck the Los Angeles area in January," the suit states.
Treleaven set up a meeting with high-level Red Cross officials for Jan. 18, the "typical manner by which such celebrity relationships were made and maintained," the suit states.
However, an executive of the Red Cross' Los Angeles regional office demanded that Treleaven give her the celebrity's phone number and address and told the plaintiff not to attend the very meeting Treleaven had arranged and at which the plaintiff could expect the actress would anticipate seeing her, the suit states.
The executive also drafted a note falsely stating that Treleaven and been "pulled away on an urgent matter" and told the plaintiff to send it to the celebrity, but Treleaven refused and explained that everything she was being asked to do would be a breach of her ethical duties, according to her suit.
Treleaven, not having the actress' permission to turn over her private information, believed the executive's orders placed the plaintiff in a position of either betraying the celebrity's confidence and endangering her reputation or risking losing her job, the suit states. Assuming she would be committing an unlawful act by turning over the celebrity's private information, Treleaven refused to do so and was fired Jan. 20, according to the suit, which further states that she was told her termination was due to "inappropriate/unprofessional conduct."
Treleaven has lost income as well as self-esteem since losing her job, the suit states.
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