A Black longtime Los Angeles County probation officer has reached a tentative settlement in her lawsuit in which she said she was sexually harassed for three years by a supervisor who brushed up against and hugged her without permission, allegedly telling her the embracing produced a chemical that made people happier.
Plaintiff Marshay Wallace stated in her Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit that the alleged misconduct by her boss continued until she obtained a work transfer in 2021. On Tuesday, attorneys told Judge Teresa Beaudet that the parties had accepted a mediator’s settlement proposal and that an accord was being prepared for submission to the county Claims Board and to the Board of Supervisors.
No terms were divulged.
In their previous court papers, county attorneys denied Wallace’s allegations, said they were barred by the statute of limitations and contended that any actions taken toward the plaintiff were for “legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons.”
Wallace was hired by the Probation Department in 2006, was elevated to a deputy probation officer in 2014 and held that position when she sued in May 2022.
In 2018, she was assigned a new supervisor who began hugging her once daily, but that number later increased and the embraces became tighter and also sometime included his rubbing of her back, the suit alleged. As the hugging and Wallace’s discomfort increased, she complained to him, to which he replied that “everyone needs a hug,” that other employees were not uncomfortable with his embraces and that such affection can help the body produce the chemical oxytocin, which makes people happier, according to the suit.
Wallace became anxious and sick to her stomach when he entered the room, the suit further stated. Wallace complained to another male supervisor who was dismissive of her concerns, the suit alleged.
Wallace also contended she was subjected to harassing and discriminatory treatment based on her race and gender and that the supervisor who allegedly harassed her scrutinized her more than he did Latinos such as him.
Only after being transferred to a different assignment where she no longer interacted with the supervisor did Wallace have the courage to come forward about the conduct she contends she experience for three years, the suit stated.