Allegations Not First Against Police Chief : Lawsuit: Sexual harassment claims by Irvine officers similar to one filed by sergeant in Northern California.

Irvine Police Chief Charles S. Brobeck, who is being sued by four women officers for alleged sex discrimination, faced a similar allegation when he was chief of the Novato Police Department in Northern California, according to a claim filed by a female officer.

Novato Police Sgt. Laurie Teague filed a claim for damages against Brobeck, the city of Novato and its Police Department last December, contending that she was a victim of discrimination based on her gender and sexual orientation.

The Dec. 4 claim by Teague, a lesbian, was denied by the city, said her attorney, Donna Brorby of San Francisco. Teague is now pursuing the charges in a claim with the state, Brorby said.

In the claim, Teague asserts that Brobeck “failed to take steps to cause the discrimination to cease.” Instead, the claim says, Brobeck told Teague to “smile more.”

Teague’s claim focuses primarily on a lieutenant who she alleges repeatedly made derogatory comments about her and discriminated against her in assigning jobs. In addition, she asserts that the department persistently blocked her promotions to detective and sergeant, claiming she lacked “people skills.”

Teague also claims that the lieutenant whom Brobeck supervised allowed a female stripper to perform at the department in August, 1991, during a fellow officer’s birthday party.

Teague, who was eventually promoted to sergeant, is now on a stress disability leave from the Police Department.

Brobeck was unavailable for comment Friday.

Irvine City Manager Paul O. Brady Jr. said Brobeck told him about Teague’s allegations when he was being interviewed for the Irvine job.

“He satisfied us that there was nothing to it that would prevent us from hiring him,” said Brady, who was instrumental in hiring Brobeck in January, 1992.

In the Irvine case, four current and former employees of the Police Department sued Brobeck, three other supervisors, the department and the City of Irvine in Superior Court, alleging sexual harassment, unwanted touching, personal threats and retaliation following complaints.

The employees claim that some of their male counterparts at the Police Department told them that they would not be backed up during patrols, referred to them as the “broad squad” and taunted them with sexual remarks while they were pregnant.

The women contend in the suit that Brobeck has known about the alleged harassment since Oct. 30 and failed to take actions to stop it.