Bridget Francis, a former leasing consultant at Lakeside Vista Apartments, filed a lawsuit in July 2024 against the apartment’s owners and the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, claiming that a new tenant’s marijuana use forced smoke into her unit.
Francis said the building’s rental agreement explicitly banned smoking, yet the neighbor continued to light joints, and repeated complaints to the property management went unanswered.
Her suit alleged negligence, discrimination, damage to property and emotional distress, and she sought damages from both Fairfield Residential and the public pension fund that owned a controlling stake in the complex.
The trial court dismissed the claims against CalSTRS, ruling that the pension fund, as a California public agency, was protected by sovereign immunity and had never entered into the lease.
The Georgia Court of Appeals upheld that dismissal, finding Francis had failed to demonstrate that the fund could be held liable under the lease or that it had abandoned its public‑agency status.
The appellate decision also removed the earlier prejudice ruling, meaning Francis cannot re‑file the same claims, but she may seek other legal remedies if new evidence emerges.