The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Sexual harassment case tops $700K in fees
Lawsuits are filed by 2 city employees, but Councilmember Ben Lopez denies claims
Montclair has spent more than $700,000 on legal fees after two city employees filed sexual harassment lawsuits against Councilmember Ben Lopez, officials announced this week.
Meantime, Mayor John Dutrey has asked staff to develop a plan to send a letter to city residents laying out the facts of the lawsuits and the cost to the city.
On Tuesday, the City Council accepted a report showing the city has spent $703,052.09 in legal fees for two ongoing lawsuits against Lopez over sexual harassment and discrimination allegations. An attorney representing the plaintiffs hinted at a settlement in late 2022, but it has not been finalized
In December 2021, Edmund Garcia, a senior IT specialist for the city, and Michael Fuentes, Montclair’s director of economic development, filed lawsuits against the city and Lopez alleging unwanted sexual advances, sexual harassment and discrimination against them on the basis of their sexual orientation.
The city brought in a third-party investigator to look into the accusations and, after receiving the investigator’s report, moved to formally censure Lopez in April 2022. According to the council resolution, the censure was based on the investigator’s findings that the employees’ accusations were credible and that Lopez was casting the city in a negative light.
Just two weeks later the council removed Lopez from his committees and the city formally requested that Lopez attend additional sexual harassment-prevention training, aside from the training he was required to complete upon taking office.
The additional training was supposed to take place within 30 calendar days and was later extended to 60 days. Lopez has still not completed the additional training as of Jan. 16.
In a formal statement during the council meeting Tuesday, Lopez said he has not refused to attend the training and is waiting on a response from the city. He said his attorney sent an email to the city on June 6, 2022, requesting the training be moved from Los Angeles to Montclair and a copy of the training material to be provided which he says the city has yet to respond to.