Ex-Secretary’s Lawsuit Says Police Sexually Harassed Her

A former secretary in the Montebello Police Department has filed a $10-million federal lawsuit against the city, claiming that police routinely made suggestive sexual comments to her and that the chief allowed colleagues to distribute nude photos of him.

Lourdes Valtierra Rivas, 33, said in the lawsuit that for eight years she was subjected to the harassment while working in the department. She quit last year.

“She went through hell, big-time hell,� said Rivas’ attorney, Monday U. Abengowe. “Right now she’s a nervous wreck. She doesn’t have a job and is seeing a therapist.�

The lawsuit, which was filed last month, seeks damages for alleged harassment, racial discrimination and lost wages.

Also named as defendants were Police Chief G. Steve Simonian, Capt. Michael Kight, Lt. William Scholl and three detectives. Simonian has denied the allegations. Kight and Scholl could not be reached for comment.

The suit said Kight and Scholl made improper sexual advances to Rivas on several occasions and that officers made racist comments about Rivas’ boyfriend, who is black. Officers also made lewd jokes about rape victims and played confiscated adult videos in the work area, according to the suit.

Rivas complained to supervisors and other officials, including city administrator Richard Torres, but to no avail, according to the suit. When she rejected the alleged advances or complained to supervisors, she was investigated and sometimes reprimanded for alleged minor violations of department policy, the suit said.

Torres, Simonian and other officials said Rivas had never complained to them about alleged harassment.

“She quit and said goodby to everybody and then she launched the lawsuit later after she couldn’t get a job,� said Simonian, who has been chief for five years.

Simonian also denied the allegation that he had allowed nude photos of himself to be distributed in the office. He declined comment on whether such photos existed.

A department source said Simonian had a nude photo of himself taken in the department during the mid-1980s before he was chief. The photo was intended as a gag gift to another officer, but was seen by many people in the station, according to the source, who requested anonymity.

The source also said that Rivas’ accusations have merit. “There is stuff going on--sexual, verbal and racial harassment,� the source said. “People don’t complain because they don’t get anywhere doing it.�

The police department has 129 employees, including 94 officers. Four officers and 28 civilian employees are women.

Mayor Edward C. Pizzorno said city officials “don’t give much credence to the complaints. The police chief told us this is untrue. Our position is that (the harassment) didn’t happen.�

Rivas had filed a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is a requirement before filing a federal lawsuit. The commission notified her attorney that it decided not to pursue the case, but gave the attorney permission to sue. Commission officials declined comment.

The police department and city employee relations department began investigations of the allegations after the EEOC complaint was filed. The investigations are continuing, officials said.