A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department lieutenant who filed a whistleblower retaliation lawsuit alleging that Sheriff Robert Luna has formed a “hit squad” against those who supported former Sheriff Alex Villanueva is seeking specific personnel records of Luna and other high-ranking department members.
Lt. Shawn O’Donnell’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit allegations also include sexual and racial harassment. On Feb. 26, his attorneys filed court papers with Judge Peter A. Hernandez ahead of a March 25 hearing. The plaintiff’s lawyers are asking that the department turn over specific employee records of Luna, county CEO Fesia Davenport — who is not an LASD member — Eileen Decker — an attorney who is the LASD’s director of the Office of Constitutional Policing — Cmdr. Richard Mejia, Undersheriff April Tardy, Assistant Sheriff Jason A. Skeen, former LASD Chief Eric Parra and Capt. Pilar Chavez.
Among the categories of information sought by O’Donnell’s attorneys are all complaints, inquiries, reports, investigations or disciplinary proceedings relating to allegations made against the individuals concerning sexual harassment, racial and disability discrimination, failure to accommodate medical conditions and engage in the interactive process as well as retaliation for being an internal whistleblower.
“The Sheriff’s Department has failed to uphold its discovery obligations and provide plaintiff with critical documents and information to which plaintiff is entitled to prove the essential elements of the claims asserted in the lawsuit,” O’Donnell’s lawyers contend in their court papers. “Without said information, we will not be able to prosecute plaintiff’s case.”
The department has yet to produce the documents and others that O’Donnell’s attorneys allegedly know exist, the plaintiff’s lawyers state in their pleadings. The judge dismissed Luna as a defendant in January.
O’Donnell, who is white, alleges that Chavez , a Latina, showed him photos of her breasts and racially harassed him. Chavez also is a defendant in the case.
O’Donnell has maintained that Luna, Chavez and Luna’s chief of staff, Jason Skeen, were behind a “pervasive and targeted campaign of harassment against plaintiff with specific incidents of racially and sexually charged conduct.”
In their court papers, county attorneys denied any wrongdoing by Chavez.
“There is no claim that she made inappropriate sexual comments, that she made any type of graphic gestures or sexual innuendos or that anything happened to his employment because of his gender,” according to the county lawyers, who further stated that O’Donnell, who is white, states no explanation as to how Chavez, a Latina, racially harassed him.
The county attorneys further stated that O’Donnell gave no information as to how Skeen allegedly sexually harassed the plaintiff. In addition, O’Donnell never contended that he interacted with Luna or that the sheriff even knew who he is, according to the county attorneys’ court papers.
According to O’Donnell’s suit, Luna and members of his administration have formed a “hit squad” to retaliate against Villanueva backers within their department, and have been supported by the Board of Supervisors. O’Donnell believes his chances for career advancement have been “adversely affected and irreparably harmed,” the plaintiff’s court papers state.
According to the suit brought in December 2023 and to a claim filed as a forerunner of O’Donnell’s legal action, the 45-year-old plaintiff was a vocal and known proponent of Villanueva in the months before the Nov. 8, 2022 election in which Luna unseated Villanueva.
A month before the election, O’Donnell was transferred from the East Los Angeles station to the Narcotics Bureau, Detective Division, with an effective date of Dec. 11, 2022, the plaintiff’s court papers state. However, shortly after Luna was elected, O’Donnell was notified that Luna was canceling his move to the Narcotics Bureau, O’Donnell’s court papers state.
O’Donnell and another Villanueva supporter were not told why their job transfers were blocked, so the plaintiff filed a grievance alleging political retaliation and a claim with the state, O’Donnell’s court papers further state.
Villanueva, who served one term as sheriff, is running to reclaim the office in November.