A former city of Norwalk employee is suing the Southeast Los Angeles County community, alleging she was forced to resign in February after insufficient action was taken against a supervisor who inappropriately touched her in the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s office in Washington D.C. after the plaintiff made a grant proposal in 2023.
Melanie Paz’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also names as a defendant her former supervisor, James C. Parker, the city’s transportation director. Paz was hired in January 2022 as a senior management analyst for the city transportation department.
Paz alleges whistleblower retaliation, harassment, negligent and intentional infliction of emotional distress, constructive discharge and failure to prevent harassment, discrimination and retaliation. She seeks unspecified compensatory damages against the city and both compensatory and punitive damages from Parker.
A representative for the city did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit, brought May 6.
Paz went to Washington, D.C., on a business trip in March 2023 as part of a team requesting a grant for a project for the city, and on her first day there, Paz was asked by Parker for her vouchers for drinks in order to give them to his wife, then got angry with the plaintiff when she declined to give him her cell phone number, according to the suit.
Paz was in Feinstein’s office for a meeting and the plaintiff asked the politician’s staff at the end of her presentation if they had questions, the suit states.
Parker “reached down and grabbed plaintiff’s leg and squeezed it” in order to quiet her, according to the suit, which describes the boss’ action as ” painful, unwanted, offensive and unwelcomed.”
The suit does not state if the meeting included Feinstein, who died last October at age 90.
When Paz complained about Parker’s alleged touching of her to another boss, the woman told her to be careful because Parker could make the plaintiff’s life “very difficult,” the suit states.
However, Paz eventually informed human resources about Parker’s alleged touching and after that was removed from projects and multiple other activities, according to the suit — which additionally states she was written up for alleged conduct issues that occurred more than a year ago, including 2022, when she took time off for a death in her family and an illness for a close relative.
Paz also received notices last fall alleging strong smells coming from her office, located on a floor with fresh-cut Christmas trees delivered by management, the suit states.
When Paz asked for a lateral transfer to escape her alleged harassing work environment, she was instead offered a part-time job, according to the suit, which further states that the plaintiff’s other boss advised her to be careful of what she said in the office in case she was secretly recorded.
Paz was not allowed to attend the American Public Transportation Association conference last July and was prevented from taking part in a bus stop project in which she was set to participate prior to her complaining about Parker, the suit states.
Paz was given an employee evaluation on Valentine’s Day that falsely accused her of deleting city files and actions amounting to stealing city property, according to the suit, which further states that the stress and alleged retaliation caused her to resign the same day.
Paz continues to suffer emotional distress, expenses for medical and psychological treatment and lost wages, the suit states.