#MeToo leader is accused in groping incident
Former staffer says assemblywoman accosted him at softball game in 2014
SACRAMENTO » Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia, one of the most prominent voices for women’s rights in the California legislature, has been accused of groping a young legislative staffer in 2014.
The former staffer, Daniel Fierro of Cerritos, told POLITICO that Garcia, D-Bell Gardens, cornered him after the annual Assembly softball game while he was cleaning up the dugout. He said Garcia, who appeared to be drunk, stroked his back, squeezed his buttocks and tried to grope him before he was able to leave the situation.
Garcia acknowledged in a statement sent to reporters that she was at the event but had “zero
recollection” of engaging in any unacceptable behavior.
The allegations rocked the Capitol, which for months has been grappling with a movement to stamp out a culture permissive of inappropriate sexual behavior — often acts perpetrated by powerfulmen against junior female staffers and lobbyists.
The claims against Garcia could harm the very cause for which she carried the mantle, said Jessica Levinson, an ethics and election law expert at Loyola Law School.
“You could never buy this much good opposition to the #MeToo movement,” Levinson said. “It’s such a blow because it gives the opposition so much fodder. It’s kind of a Greek tragedy that they’re taken down by the exact kinds of allegations that they’re fighting against.”
Fierro did not report the incident at the time, but in January — inspired by the #MeToo movement— he told his former boss, Assemblyman Ian Calderon; Calderon reported the incident to the Assembly Rules Committee, which launched an investigation, POLITICO reported.
POLITICO also quoted an unnamed lobbyist who said that Garcia sexually propositioned him last May and tried to grab his crotch dur- in ga political fund raiser.
In her statement Thursday, Garcia wrote, “Every complaint about sexual harassment should be taken seriously and I will participate fully in any investigation that takes place. The details of these claims have never been brought to my attention until today. I can confirmthat I did attend the 2014 legislative softball game with a number of members andmy staff. I can also say I have zero recollection of engaging in inappropriate behavior and such behavior is inconsistent with my values .”
Shortly after the story broke, Sen. Connie Leyva, D-Chino, who is vice chairwoman for the California Legislative Women’ s Caucus, issued a statement calling on Garcia to take an immediate leave of absence until the investigation is completed.
“As a vocal ally of the #MeToo and #WeSaidEnough movements, I am shocked and disturbed at the very troubling allegations related to California Legislative Women’s Caucus Chair Cristina Garcia,” she wrote. “… Anyone proven to have sexually harassed or assaulted another person, regardless of their gender, should be held accountable for their actions. I commit to continue fighting to rid the Capitol and our state of the pervasive culture of sexual harassment, assault, and overall disrespect.”
The anti-harassment We Said Enough campaign issued a statement saying the reports against Garcia “need to be investigated thor- oughly, without delay.”
The accusations against Garcia are the latest to drop against state lawmakers in recent months. Assembly Democrats Raul Bocanegra andMatt Dababneh, both of the San Fernando Valley, resigned in late 2017 amid sexual misconduct scandals. State Sen. TonyMendoza, DArtesia, is on leave during an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behavior toward young interns.
Last week, the Legislature released previously secret documents dating back to 2006 that revealed previ- ous instances of substantiated allegations against lawmakers and their staffers.
Garcia, 38, a native of Bell Gardens in Los Angeles County and a former math teacher, was elected to the Assembly in 2012. She has filed papers to run for re-election in the June 5 primary but also has been talked about as a potential state Senate candidate.
The lawmaker has been outspoken in her criticism of a “boy’s club” culture in Sacramento. As women came forward to recount their experiences of harassment and abuse in the Capitol, the lawmaker said that she, too, had been repeatedly groped during her time in office.
Hours before the allegations were revealed, Garcia tweeted a video about the definition of “consent.”
“What is `consent?’ How do we bridge the gap between varying definitions?” she wrote. “No matter your answer, I really recommend you watch the whole video.”
Reporter Kevin Modesti contributed to this story.