A former Montebello police detective has reached a settlement in her lawsuit in which she alleged male department employees were given preferential treatment, including rank promotions as well as exemptions from the city’s coronavirus vaccine mandate.
Plaintiff Maria Chavez’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit also alleged she was wrongfully fired in 2022 for refusing to be vaccinated, which she objected to for religious reasons. Her suit additionally named as defendants then-City Manager Rene Bobadilla and Nicholas T. Razo, the city’s former director of human resources. Both men now hold executive positions in Santa Fe Springs.
On Friday, Chavez’s attorney filed court papers with Judge Michael Shultz notifying him of a “conditional” resolution in the case with an expectation of a request for dismissal will be brought by May 15. No terms were divulged.
Chavez’s allegations included wrongful termination and failure to promote — both under the category of gender discrimination — as well as a hostile work environment.
In her lawsuit filed in November 2022, Chavez contended that she was subjected to disparate treatment due to her gender.
“In short, Chavez was treated differently than her male colleagues during the vaccine mandate process and she was terminated due to the discriminatory conduct of the (city),” according to the suit, which further stated that the plaintiff was one of the only female detectives in the MPD.
Chavez was routinely excluded from MPD meetings by her male colleagues, the suit stated.
“It was clear that Chavez was not wanted in the MPD and the new vaccine policy was the perfect way to get rid of her under a thin veneer of legality,” the suit stated.
Chavez started her career in law enforcement as a Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy in 2006 and was hired by the MPD the next year, working patrol, the suit stated. She was promoted to corporal in 2013 and five years later became a detective responsible for investigating crimes against children, according to the suit.
During her MPD career, the plaintiff heard offensive language about females and saw inappropriate postings of literature belittling her gender, according to the suit, which called the MPD detective unit “a private men’s club” where women were not welcome.
Chavez was twice denied promotions to sergeant in favor of lesser qualified male officers, according to her suit.
The city announced its coronavirus employee vaccine mandate in August 2021, promising to handle requests for religious exemptions on a fair, case-by-case basis, the suit stated.
However, Chavez’s interview with Razo when she requested a vaccine exemption only lasted five minutes and he did not ask any questions, the suit stated.
“Unfortunately, it became clear that Montebello never intended to follow its own written vaccine policy and that Chavez was going to be terminated no matter what she told Razo,” according to the suit, which further stated the plaintiff received a letter from the city in November 2021 stating that her exemption request was denied and that she had not identified a religious doctrine that would exclude her from the vaccine mandate.
“Chavez was shocked and confused because the allegations in the letter painted a false picture of the interview conducted by Razo,” the suit stated.
Chavez’s male colleagues’ requests for religious exemptions were mostly rubber-stamped by Razo, who was close personal friends with the male officers seeking exemptions, the suit alleged.
Chavez was put on leave in December 2021 and fired the next month, the suit stated.
“The MPD and Montebello used the vaccine mandate to terminate one of the few female detectives in the department and notably the one who complained about the department’s hostility towards female officers,” the suit stated.