Alameda County Official Accused Of Sexual Harassment

When someone wants to protect and serve the public, their job can be stressful enough because of the dangers involved. When a probation officer is subjected to sexual harassment and sexual assault, the job is that much harder. Fortunately for one woman, she did not put up with it.

The woman filed a $1.5 million claim in Alameda County, California, accusing the chief probation officer, who has been placed on paid leave, of sexual harassment, sexual assault and false imprisonment. She is seeking monetary damages for mental distress and anguish.

A criminal investigation into the allegations has been turned over to the state attorney general’s office. The Alameda County prosecutor’s office handed the case off to the state because of its ties to the chief probation officer, who denies the charges and says he will cooperate fully.

According to the lawsuit, the man forced himself on the woman on more than one occasion, touching her genitals and forcing her to touch his. On one occasion he had the woman pick him up and take him to a speaking engagement. On the way he started kissing her. The woman continued to pick him up and meet with him because she feared for her job, but on multiple occasions he would try to get her to have sex with him.

If the charges are true it’ll be a black eye for the county, because the probation officer made frequent public speaking appearances, speaking on his troubled past and the changes that area youths need to make to improve their lives.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, “Alameda probation chief accused of sexual abuse,” Demian Bulwa, Feb. 15, 2012