4 More Women to Join Suit Against Police

Four more women agreed on Tuesday to join the lawsuit that has rocked the Newport Beach Police Department, bringing to nine the number of current and former police employees alleging they were sexually harassed and discriminated against.

According to the lawsuit, two of the new plaintiffs will corroborate to some extent the story of dispatcher Peri Ropke, who accused Police Chief Arb Campbell and Capt. Anthony J. Villa Jr. of raping her at a drunken department party in 1981. Both say that Ropke, an acquaintance of theirs, told them about the alleged incident years before her accusation became public.

“I believe that by my actions in joining the lawsuit, other employees will not have to endure the wrong that made me a victim,” said Officer Shontel Sherwood, 29, who was honored by the department in 1991 for heroism. “I have no doubt in my mind that I was ridiculed and accused of ill-conceived acts by refusing to allow sexual harassment and a hostile work environment to exist.”

Sherwood and the other women will be added to the civil suit today when a revised complaint is filed in Orange County Superior Court, said Steven R. Pingel, their attorney. The four new plaintiffs will join five others who have already alleged they were sexually harassed by Villa, and that Campbell did nothing to stop the abuse although he knew about it.

Campbell and Villa have denied the allegations, arguing in court papers that they are the victims of spurious charges from disgruntled employees who either have psychological problems or want to cover up their own misconduct on the job.

They specifically contend that Ropke has confused the Newport Beach party at which she says she was raped with another sexual encounter involving two different men while she was employed by another police department.

“The women’s lawsuit has no merit,” said Bruce Praet, the attorney for Campbell and Villa. “The more people who jump on the bandwagon, the less credibility it gives the original plaintiffs, if there was any credibility in the first place. This campaigning at police departments is a disservice to female employees with legitimate cases. You can cry wolf too many times.”

Those scheduled to join the case are Dispatcher Molly Thomson, Animal Control Officer Michelle LeFay and Officers Sherwood and Katherine Heinzel. Thomson and LeFay have taken medical leaves from the department. Sherwood was awarded the department’s Merit Award for rescuing five people from a burning building.

According to the revised lawsuit, Thomson, Heinzel, LeFay and Sherwood also have filed complaints with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which investigates allegations of on-the-job discrimination.

“It is interesting that Praet is using the word wolf in this case,” Pingel said. “There is no bandwagon happening. If there were, it would have many more women riding in it than just my nine clients.”

In general, the women allege that they were touched against their wishes by Villa, denied promotions because they are female, told to socialize off duty with male officers and blacklisted because of their associations with certain people in the department.