CYA Employee Files Sex Harassment Suit

An employee of the California Youth Authority’s Ventura School has filed a lawsuit accusing another employee of sexual harassment.

Laurian Franklin, a youth correctional officer, contends that correctional counselor Calvin Spellman made “sexually derogatory” remarks about her and other female employees to a number of inmates. The suit, filed Friday, provided no further information about the incident.

Also named in the suit are school Assistant Supt. Chuck Kubasek and CYA investigator Ray McLaughlin, who allegedly failed to take corrective steps after the incidents.

The suit also contends that the defendants retaliated against Franklin after her report of sexual harassment, by “subjecting her to repeated and continuous meritless disciplinary inquiries and eventually a reduction in pay.”

Franklin contends in her suit that she was treated in an “oppressive, despicable, malicious manner, in conscious disregard for her employment rights.”

A charge of sexual harassment has also been filed with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to the suit.

Kubasek said he could not comment on the suit because he has not yet seen it. “But the incident she’s referring to was dealt with in a state personnel board hearing,” Kubasek said.

“The state personnel board sustained our action, denied her appeal and she’s basically not happy with that,” he said.

Neither Franklin nor her attorney, William Grewe, could be reached for comment.