Ex-Antonovich Aide Drops Bias Claim

A secretary who accused Supervisor Mike Antonovich of demoting and transferring her because she is a Latina and a Democrat withdrew her claim this week after being offered a comparable job in the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors’ executive office.

In her claim, Gloria A. Salmeron of West Covina had charged she was let go after complaining about the disparate treatment between whites and Latinos in the Republican supervisor’s office.

Antonovich aide Tom Silver called the allegations “ludicrous,” adding, “She was asked to take a voluntary demotion and transferred because she was not doing acceptable work. All of our secretaries are treated equally and I don’t know what their political affiliations are.”

Silver said that of the six full-time office assistants in Antonovich’s office, three are Latina, three are Anglo and one is black.

Salmeron, a 13-year county employee, worked in Antonovich’s office from late 1986 until early May of this year. She has been on a job-related medical leave for emotional stress and will be reassigned to the new position upon her return, management officials said.