LA Sheriff's Deputy Sues, Alleges Sexual Harassment By Trainer

LOS ANGELES -- A sheriff's deputy is suing Los Angeles County, alleging that her training deputy sexually harassed her on the job and that she was retaliated against after she complained.

Concepcion Hernandez Garcia's Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, which was filed Tuesday, alleges sexual harassment and whistleblower retaliation. The complaint seeks unspecified damages.

An LASD representative did not immediately reply to a City News Service request for comment.

The lawsuit states that Garcia started her training as a deputy in March 2018 at the East Los Angeles station. A deputy who is not a defendant in the case was assigned to train her, according to the complaint.

In July 2018, Garcia entered a home with her gun drawn looking for a suspect, the suit states. The training deputy walked up behind her and put one hand on her buttocks, the suit alleges.

``Not only did (the trainer) grope plaintiff's buttock, he thrust her forward at the very same time into an unsafe situation, effectively placing her life in danger,'' the suit states.

During subsequent interactions, the trainer went out of his way to brush against Garcia without justification, sometimes making insulting remarks when he realized she was offended, the suit contends.

``In some instances, (the trainer) was joined by other deputies closely associated with him in these actions,'' according to the suit.

Garcia filed an internal complaint against the trainer in mid-July 2018 and was immediately put on administrative leave, making it appear she did something wrong, the suit states. The trainer and the other deputies were not put on leave, the suit states.

The LASD did not investigate Garcia's complaints or interview her, the suit alleges.

Garcia, not wanting to continue being allegedly victimized by the trainer, was forced to seek a transfer to another station even though she would have preferred to remain in East Los Angeles because she grew up in the area and still lived nearby, the suit states. She was reassigned to the Century Station, the suit states.

City News Service contributed to this report.