Rose Bowl Chief Accused of Sexual Harassment

Rose Bowl General Manager David Jacobs is facing accusations of sexual harassment in a lawsuit filed by his former executive secretary, and an internal investigation has been launched into the conduct of the man who oversees Pasadena’s stadium.

Jane Orr said in the lawsuit filed in Pasadena Superior Court that between February 1993 and November 1995 Jacobs told vulgar jokes, made sexual remarks about women, constantly hugged her, once pulling her onto his lap and another time patting her on the buttocks.

The suit, filed in January and only now coming to light, alleges that Jacobs created a sexually hostile work environment with the knowledge of the city management and that Orr feared retaliation. It demands unspecified damages for pain and discomfort as well as punitive damages from the city of Pasadena.

An internal investigation is expected to be completed soon, said Deputy City Atty. Lawrence Newberry.

Orr referred questions to her attorney.

Jacobs, Rose Bowl manager since 1993, dismissed the allegations.

“I have nothing to say about it. It’s a retaliatory act. I hope it will be cleared up in a positive manner,” he said.

The suit was filed after Jacobs sought in November to fire Orr for a series of alleged acts of incompetence and insubordination that came to a head when he accused her of slamming a door in his face, according to records.

The city, however, did not fire her after an attorney for Orr informed them of the alleged harassment and demanded a financial settlement. On Dec. 18 she was transferred to the city manager’s office.

Orr, a 34-year city employee, had been Jacobs secretary for six years. Jacobs, a 28-year city employee, began as a police officer before moving to City Hall in 1979.

In August 1993, the suit said, a co-worker of Orr complained about Jacobs’ conduct toward her to Assistant City Manager Edmund Sotelo. The suit alleges the behavior continued. It cites a March or April 1995 incident in which Jacobs, seated in the reception area, allegedly pulled Orr onto his lap and asked: “What do you want for Christmas.”

“His conduct was sexually motivated,” said Orr’s attorney, Howard Z. Rosen.

Sotelo and City Manager Phil Hawkey declined to comment. But Newberry, who is defending the city and has filed a denial to the complaint, said Jacobs and Orr had worked together before the Rose Bowl and the allegations come after she followed him to the stadium job.

“Jacobs could reasonably believe based on prior actions and her reaction and her own behavior she was not offended. If you look at the complaint there is nothing alleged before they went to the Rose Bowl where the workload hit the fan,” Newberry said. “I don’t think Jacobs became a monster when he went to the Rose Bowl.”