Mountain View Police Chief Accused In Sexual Harassment Lawsuit

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA - A Mountain View police dispatcher sued the city earlier this week alleging discrimination by the current police chief. Annie Lohman, 38, who has worked at the Police Department since 2003, is accusing police Chief Max Bosel of retaliation and sexual harassment, among other allegations.

Attorneys James McManis and Hilary Weddell on Monday filed a civil lawsuit on behalf of Lohman in Santa Clara County Superior Court. The city is also named as a defendant on the suit. Lohman joined the department's SWAT team as a dispatcher in 2005, when Bosel was leading the officers and he joined the group when they sexually harassed her, according to the suit.

The woman was "repeatedly subjected to sexually explicit banter, lewd jokes, nudity, and simulated sexual acts," the suit alleges. "This is the kind of behavior that's got no place in any workplace and not one involving law enforcement entrusted with some of the most sensitive acts in society," McManis said.

Lohman complained to the Human Resources Division of sexual harassment, gender discrimination, a hostile work environment and other problems, according to the suit. Bosel was appointed to the department's communications division where Lohman works and she was subject to multiple investigations that found no misconduct, the suit alleges.

The plaintiff's supervisors filed "disciplinary memoranda" that corroborated Bosel's "ultimate goal" for her to leave the department, according to the suit. Lohman has been on paid administrative leave since February 2015 following the city's investigations that didn't show misconduct, the suit said.

"They did an independent investigation, which was a sham, and the retaliation increased," McManis said.

Once on leave, Bosel sent Lohman a notice that she couldn't return to work unless she submitted to a demotion and training program, according to the suit. "It became too much for her and she wouldn't tolerate it longer," McManis said.

Lohman filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in May and the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing in October.

Both agencies have given her the right to sue, according to the suit. The suit also alleges gender discrimination, disability discrimination and that her rights were violated under the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act and Fair Pay Act. There were also no actions taken to prevent the harassment, discrimination and retaliation that Lohman faced, according to the suit. The suit seeks a jury trial and more than $25,000 in damages.

"All departments within the City, and certainly the Police Department, hold integrity and respect as core organizational values, and there is no place for inappropriate or unprofessional behavior," City Manager Dan Rich said in a letter to the community on Tuesday.

The letter didn't identify any employees or disclose details because the matter is still under litigation, according to Rich. An employee made claims against other workers that were looked into by an independent investigator, who found no facts that supported the allegations, Rich said.

"Nonetheless, the employee has recently filed a lawsuit against the City," Rich said. In response, the city is working on providing police staff with more training "to ensure there is no uncertainty over what is expected of our Police Department employees and managers in confronting and correcting inappropriate conduct," Rich said.

-Bay City News; Image via Patch archive; Embed via KPIX5