Brenda Dennstedt, formerly a staff member with Riverside County Supervisor Jeff Hewitt, filed a lawsuit March 3 against Hewitt and his chief of staff, alleging they harassed her based on her age and sex, violated the California Fair Employment and Housing Act and retaliated against her when spoke up against office misconduct.
Dennstedt, who now serves on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, was hired by Hewitt as his legislative assistant/public safety liaison around March, 2019, and was fired Oct. 26, 2020, the complaint in Riverside Superior Court says.
Follow Our Courts has reached out to Riverside County and Hewitt’s office for comment but has not received a response.
Alleged improper use of county employees
According to the complaint, Hewitt and his chief of staff, Matthew “Boomer” Shannon required their staff to attend the supervisor’s political fundraisers, in violation of county policy and state law. After Dennstedt informed Shannon he could not require county employees to attend Hewitt’s political fundraisers, Shannon continued communicating his attendance policy to employees outside of Dennstedt’s presence. After Dennstedt began telling Hewitt directly that he could not mandate his employees’ attendance, Shannon told Dennstedt not to go to Hewitt at all, the complaint claims.
Shannon used county employees to run personal errands, which Dennstedt also told colleagues was inappropriate, the complaint claims.
Inaccurate forms
The office also filed inaccurate forms without giving them to Dennstedt to review despite her position as legislative assistant, and did not listen to her when she told them to fix them, the complaint claims.
The inaccuracies amounted to violating the California Fair Political Practices Commission, and one form listed the purchase of box seats at Dodger Stadium as fundraising expenses, the complaint claims.
Sexual harassment
Hewitt consistently commented on Dennstedt’s body and marital status, and would tell her she needed to have a husband, the complaint claims. He would ask if she was currently single, and then would try to set her up with his friends. He once asked “Who are you hoping to unzip you out of that dress?”, and would say she was too beautiful for her age, the complaint claims. These comments continued even though Dennstedt asked them to stop.
Gender discrimination
Hewitt also prioritized the projects of men in the office over women due to the extra time he spent golfing with the men every week, the complaint claims. The women in the office specifically asked for Dennstedt to talk to Hewitt to spend more time with women to talk about their projects.
After a Sept. 24, 2020, discussion, one month before he fired Dennstedt, Hewitt agreed to a lunch with the female staffers, which was then scheduled and canceled twice, the complaint claims.
Shannon later told Dennstedt, during an Oct. 7, 2020, office party 19 days before Dennstedt’s firing, that she should not have told Hewitt the women felt slighted, and said “Don’t you ever (expletive) do that again,” according to the complaint.
Report to the district attorney
At the same party, Shannon told Dennstedt a story that she would report to the district attorney under the belief that his actions constituted a felony.
Shannon told office members his phone was stolen in San Diego, and that he tracked his phone to the backseat of a vehicle. After talking with the vehicle’s owner, Shannon said he smashed open the vehicle’s window with a golf club to retrieve his phone.
Inappropriate joke
Three days before they fired her, Dennstedt had set up a photo session with the district attorney’s Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement/Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and was waiting for the DA’s representatives with Hewitt and Shannon. Hewitt and Shannon began talking about The New Yorker writer Jeffrey Toobin, who was fired for masturbating during an office Zoom call. “What else are you going to do? People get bored,” Hewitt said. Disgusted, Dennstedt said she did not want to be a part of the discussion, walked out of the office and waited for the DA’s representatives in the lobby, the complaint claims.
No reason for firing
Shannon did not give Dennstedt a reason for firing her three days later, and did not give Dennstedt her personnel file when she asked for it as she is entitled to under Labor Code Section 1198.5, the complaint claims. She was not able to retrieve her belongings until Nov. 5, 2020, and when she did, she found that someone had gone through her belongings and that Shannon had taken her chair to his office.
Causes of action
Against County
- Violations of the California Fair Employment and Housing Act
- Harassment based on sex/gender in violation of California Government Code Section 12940(A)&(J)
- Wrongful retaliation in violation of Government Code Section 12940(H)
- Wrongful failure to take reasonable steps to prevent harassment, discrimination and retaliation in violation of Government Code section 12940(J)(1)&(K)
- Wrongful retaliation in violation of Government Code Section 12940(J)(1)&(K)
Against Hewitt and Shannon
- Intentional infliction of emotional distress
- Negligent infliction of emotional distress
Dennstedt prayed for damages and the costs of her suit.
Parties
Joseph Richardson and Brynna Popka of Ontario’s McCune Wright Arevalo, LLP* represent Dennstedt.
Lawyers for the defendants have not been announced.
Riverside Superior Judge Daniel Ottolia has been assigned to the case.
Case No. CVRI2200885
Read the complaint here.
*McCune Wright Arevalo, LLP funds Follow Our Courts
