Lawsuit: Gilroy police culture led to firing

Longtime dispatcher alleges harassment, intimidation, sexual assault in department

GILROY » A lawsuit filed by a longtime police dispatcher alleges members of the Gilroy Police Department held sex parties, exposed their genitals at gatherings and even had sex with youths in the police explorers group.

Patricia Harrell, the dispatcher, also claims she was ultimately fired from her job of 25 years because she did not “condone the sexually charged culture” of the police department.

“While Ms. Harrell attempted to remain professional in the job she loved, many employees began to create a culture of sexual promiscuity, harassment, intimidation and sexual assault within the GPD,” states the suit filed Aug. 7 in Santa Clara County Superior Court.

In a statement issued Thursday night, the city said it was taking the lawsuit “very seriously”, but noted the allegations are “simply allegations until further addressed in a court of law.”

“This matter has to be dealt with through the legal process in a court of law,” said Mayor Roland Velasco. “The City Council and I will continue to monitor this lawsuit closely. I have full confidence in the men and women of the Gilroy Police Department to continue to do their duty and serve the people of Gilroy as they always have.”

The lawsuit provides lurid descriptions of the alleged incidents and the names of those involved, including two officers Harrell claims had sex with mem-

bers of the Gilroy Explorers, a program for youths who range in age from 14 to 20. It was not clear if the explorers involved were minors or adults at the time of the alleged incidents.

One officer was demoted but “got his stripes” back, while the other was allowed to resign, according to the suit.

At office parties, the lawsuit alleges, police department employees would “throw their keys in a bowl and whoever pulled a key had sex with the person who owned the key.”

And one dispatcher exposed her pierced genitalia at a gathering to honor a fallen officer, according to the suit.

Harrell claims in the lawsuit that her refusal to engage in or tolerate the sexual activity resulted in retaliation, including unwarranted discipline, schedule changes and her being assigned multiple trainees, even though she was “already extremely overworked.”

A note also was left on Harrell’s car warning her to watch her back, according to the suit.

The suit says Harrell was terminated after the second of two internal investigations concluded she used “bullying behaviors that are detrimental to the effective training and retention of dispatchers.”

The probe appeared to stem from a misunderstanding with a trainee. Harrell, who is part Salvadorian and part Native American, told the trainee she was once mistaken for a “cleaning lady” at a public safety conference in Colorado, according to the lawsuit. The trainee replied that she had received questioning looks from residents of Eagle Ridge, the wealthy community where she lived, and Harrell said it might be for the same reason.

In addition to the city of Gilroy and the Gilroy Police Department, the suit names the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The union, Harrell claims, failed to defend her.