A female sheriff’s deputy is suing Los Angeles County, alleging her training deputy sexually harassed her on the job and that she was put on leave and forced to transfer to another station when she complained.
Concepcion Hernandez Garcia’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit alleges sexual harassment and whistleblower retaliation. The complaint filed Tuesday seeks unspecified damages.
“Plaintiff’s conspicuous transfer in the middle of training left a black mark against her that will have significant and long-lasting effects on (her) reputation and career…,” the suit states.
An LASD representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Garcia started her training as a deputy in March 2018 at the East Los Angeles station, the suit states. A deputy who is not a defendant in the case was assigned to train her, according to the complaint.
In July 2018, Garcia entered a home with her gun drawn looking for a suspect, the suit states. The training deputy walked up behind her and put one hand on her buttocks, the suit alleges.
“Not only did (the trainer) grope plaintiff’s buttock, he thrust her forward at the very same time into an unsafe situation, effectively placing her life in danger,” the suit states.
The trainer’s action made Garcia “even more vulnerable in an already hazardous situation, causing plaintiff to further experience fear and confusion,” the suit states.
During subsequent interactions, the trainer went out of his way to brush against Garcia without justification, sometimes making insulting remarks when he realized she was offended, the suit states.
The trainer embarrassed Garcia with remarks in front of four people arrested during a traffic stop, prompting the arrestees to laugh at her, the suit states.
“In some instances, (the trainer) was joined by other deputies closely associated with him in these actions,” according to the suit.
Garcia filed an internal complaint against the trainer in mid-July 2018 and was immediately put on administrative leave, making it appear she did something wrong, the suit states. The trainer and the other deputies were not put on leave, the suit states.
The LASD did not investigate Garcia’s complaints or interview her, the suit alleges.
Garcia, not wanting to continue being allegedly victimized by the trainer, was forced to seek a transfer to another station even though she would have preferred to remain in East Los Angeles because she grew up in the area and still lived nearby, the suit states. She was reassigned to the Century Station, the suit states.