OXNARD : Ex-Employee Files Sex Harassment Suit
A former secretary for the Oxnard Water Department has filed a $100,000 civil rights lawsuit against her supervisor and the city, alleging that he sexually harassed her on the job between January, 1988, and May, 1989.
Jo Ann Gauthier filed the suit Wednesday against James Blackford and the city of Oxnard in Ventura County Superior Court, alleging that he touched her sexually and made sexual comments to her while the two worked together.
The suit alleges that Blackford on several occasions walked behind Gauthier’s chair and rubbed his crotch against her while using the telephone. It also alleges that Blackford once whispered to Gauthier that he wanted to tear off her skirt and that he asked her to come home with him and “compare notes” while his wife was away.
The suit accuses Blackford of violating federal sexual harassment laws and alleges that Gauthier was forced to quit her job to avoid his advances.
Blackford denied the allegations Thursday, saying Gauthier “was never harassed. I thought she was treated as any other employee. I tried to make it as nice working conditions as possible.”
Court records show that the city of Oxnard and the California Department of Housing and Fair Employment investigated Gauthier’s charges, but dismissed them for lack of evidence.
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