Four employees of the San Bernardino County Public Defender’s Office filed a class-action lawsuit against the county and multiple county employees Nov. 5 alleging acts of sexual misconduct including rape, assault, false imprisonment and quid pro quo sexual relationship in the office.
The complaints center on the former Public Defender Gregory Christopher Gardner, who left his position last year, but also accuses a host of other employees in the public defender’s office and accuses the county of knowing but not responding to an improper sexual culture in the office.
Plaintiffs
The suit alleges Gardner attempted to exchange sex for job benefits, rescinded verbally granted promotions after refusal of sexual
