The Tulare County Public Defender's Office has settled an employee's sexual harassment allegations by agreeing to pay the complainant $200,000 and take steps to prevent future out-of-bounds behavior. (Shutterstock)
- The California Civil Rights Department announced the settlement Monday of claims filed in 2024.
- The complainant alleged several years of sexual harassment and other abuse by a direct supervisor.
- Without admitting liability, the Tulare County Public Defender's agreed to pay the employee $200,000 and take steps to improve the workplace culture.
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The Tulare County Public Defender’s Office has settled an employee’s sexual harassment allegations by agreeing to pay the complainant $200,000.
The office also agreed to take steps to prevent future out-of-bounds behavior.
The California Civil Rights Department announced the settlement Monday of claims filed in 2024.
“Leaders have an obligation to prevent and remedy sexual harassment in the workplace,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish in a statement. “It is unacceptable to allow inappropriate behavior to go unchecked. Through this settlement, the Tulare County Public Defender’s Office is taking important steps to ensure staff are able to do their critical work free from harassment.”
According to the CRD, a direct supervisor sexually harassed the employee for several years. The complaint said the behavior was physical, verbal, and severe — ranging from intrusive and intimate questions to unwanted sexual contact.
Additionally, the employee alleged that office leaders openly tolerated a culture of workplace misconduct. One cited instance involved a senior official’s inappropriate conduct in front of dozens of staff at an office holiday party.
The Agreement
Following an investigation, the employee and the office, without admitting liability, agreed to settle. These are the stipulated terms:
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- Issue a bulletin to all staff to remind them of protections against sexual harassment in the workplace and options for reporting misconduct.
- Ensure and certify to the state that supervisors and staff have taken mandatory training on the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace.
- Conduct a survey of all employees to gauge understanding of the office’s sexual harassment prevention policy and submit the results to CRD.
- Report to CRD on how new workplace sexual harassment complaints have been handled for a period of one year.
- Pay $200,000 to the individual complainant for lost wages and other harms.
Information on Workplace Protections
If you or someone you know has experienced employment discrimination, CRD may be able to assist you through its complaint process.
The department provides general information and factsheets online about civil rights protections, including on protections against sexual harassment.
CRD also offers free training on sexual harassment prevention that can be taken online at any time.
Read the full settlement at this link
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