Orange County Board of Supervisors authorizes appeal, approves $350,000 in settlements and rejects airport smoke claims in closed session

The Orange County Board of Supervisors met in closed session and took several legal and claims actions: it authorized an appeal in a civil rights case, approved two settlements totaling $350,000 pending final approvals, rejected multiple smoke-and-ash claims tied to an airport fire and authorized one reimbursement of actual expenses.

Unidentified Speaker 1 announced that, "With respect to SCS 3, the board unanimously authorized the filing of an appeal" in the matter of Jay Campos v. County of Orange, a case described in the closed-session report as involving the fentanyl-overdose death of a jail inmate. The report said the plaintiff sued the county and six individual deputy sheriffs alleging constitutional torts under Title 42, United States Code, Section 1983.

The board also "unanimously approved a $200,000 settlement" in Christy Setterholme v. County of Orange, another case the report described as involving the death of a jail inmate attributed to intoxication from fentanyl, methamphetamine and morphine. The announcement said the settlement remains subject to final approval by others and that, once finalized, copies of the agreement will be available through the Office of CEO Risk Management.

In a separate matter the board "unanimously approved a $150,000 settlement" in Michael James Seppi v. County of Orange. The closed-session summary identified Seppi as a former maintenance employee at John Wayne Airport who asserted claims of age discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation. That settlement likewise was described as subject to final approval and will be distributed via CEO Risk Management once finalized.

Regarding claims tied to an airport fire, the board "unanimously rejected the smoke and ash claims" of claimants Espandiary, Garabidi, Irons, Juarez, Lukasheva, Triggs and Rad for lack of evidence, the closed-session report said. The county also authorized CEO Risk Management to reimburse claimant Woorkee for actual expenses.

The presenter said the board took no other reportable action in closed session. The meeting concluded with an adjournment and a public notice that the next Board of Supervisors meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025, at 9:30 a.m.

Details recorded in the closed-session report — including the statutory authorities invoked to hold a closed session and the fact that the settlements are subject to additional final approvals — were the only sources for the actions reported; the report did not include additional factual findings, admission of liability, settlement terms beyond the dollar amounts stated, or individual roll-call vote counts.