Verified Instances of Sex Discrimination Claims
| Year | House | Complaint Against | Total Amount (Known) | Total Amount (2017 Dollars) | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Senate | Bob Phelan and Patricia O'Brien | $89,500 | $89,500 | Employee claimed he "experienced and was forced to tolerate offensive and unprofessional racist, sexist, and homophobic comments and biases." | |
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Gag Clause: Terms Confidential No-reemployment Clause: No Employment Shuffle: No Award: $89,500 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $0 Sources: Settlement Agreement; Koseff, California Senate paid $89,500 to employee fired after argument over Colin Kaepernick, Sac. Bee (Oct. 31, 2017) |
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| 2017 | Assembly | Steve Fox (D) | $100,000 | $100,000 | Employee alleged that Fox once indecently exposed himself to her, when she went to his apartment to bring him to a required Assembly session. | |
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Gag Clause: No No-reemployment Clause: No Employment Shuffle: No Award: $23,450 Back Pay: $11,550 Attorney Fees: $65,000 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $0 Sources: Settlement Agreement; Koseff, Harassment claim against California legislator cost taxpayers $100,000, Sac. Bee (Oct, 18, 2017) |
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| 2015 | Assembly | Steve Fox (D) | $110,000 | $115,937 | Employee alleged Fox made inappropriate sexual comments. | |
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Gag Clause: No Disparagement No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $99,000 Back Pay: $11,000 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $0 Sources: Settlement Agreement; California Assembly settles unpaid work lawsuit for $110,000, Associated Press (Aug. 8, 2015); Chirbas, Assembly settles pay lawsuit against former member, L.A. Times (Aug. 7, 2015) |
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| 2010 | Senate | Rod Wright (D) | $120,000 | $139,139 | Employee claimed "The environment in Sen. Roderick Wright's office is beyond anything anyone would expect of a public official or even any employer in the 20th century... It is totally intolerable towards women and certainly black women." | |
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Gag Clause: No Publicity No-reemployment Clause: No Employment Shuffle: To "Another Senate Office" Award: $120,000 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $0 Sources: Settlement Agreement; Van Oot, California Senate pays sexual harassment claim against Rod Wright, Sac. Bee (Dec. 17, 2011). |
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| 2009 | Senate | Shawn Kim and Tammy Tran | $51,600 | $60,580 | Employee claimed she was subjected to multiple instances of sexually harassing conduct, behavior by a co-worker, including statements about her appearance, pregnancy, and calling her a "stupid fucking bitch." She maintains her complaints were ignored by her boss, who said, "That's just Shawn being Shawn." | |
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Gag Clause: No No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $51,600 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $0 Sources: Settlement Agreement; Plaintiff's Complaint for Damages |
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| 2008 | Assembly | Unknown | $0 | $0 | Employee claimed in court filings she was the subject of sexual harassment, but settled for $0. Settlement agreement indicates that employee's release of claims was in exchange for Assembly not seeking attorneys' fees against employee. | |
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Gag Clause: No No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $0 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $0 Sources: Settlement Agreement; Sacramento County Court Records |
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| 2005 | Assembly | Rebecca Cohn (D) | $48,943 | $63,561 | Employee accused Cohn of creating an uncomfortable workplace by, among other things, talking explicitly about her sex life, wearing inappropriate clothing, and asking the employee to hold her undergarments during a photo shoot for San Jose Magazine. | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: Unknown Award: $33,943 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: $15,000 Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Vogel, Assembly Pays Aide $50,000 to Settle Complaint, L.A. Times (Jan. 8, 2005) |
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| 2003 | Assembly | Jon Waldie | $540,000 | $746,216 | Employee maintained she was harassed for breast-feeding her baby at work. | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: Unknown Award: $540,000 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: Unknown Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Sanchez, Woman settles Capitol lawsuit, Sac. Bee (Mar. 7, 2003). |
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| 2000 | Assembly | Lou Papan (D) and Luke Breit | $140,000 | $210,729 | Employee claimed her supervisor tried to kiss her when they were discussing a pay raise and kept putting his arms around her. She also said that at a charity golf tournament Lou Papan kept asking her to stand on a table and take off her sweater. | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: Unknown Award: $140,000 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: Unknown Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Morrison, More Psychic Than Miss Cleo--at Least on Enron, L.A. Times (Feb. 1, 2002); Whitney, Papan named in sexual harassment complaint, San Mateo County Times (Jan. 23, 2002) |
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| 1998 | Senate | Richard Polanco (D) | $113,669 | $182,696 | Employee alleged that she had been transferred from her job for refusing to "respond to Polanco's advances." | |
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Gag Clause: Terms Confidential No-reemployment Clause: Yes, Four Years Employment Shuffle: No Award: $102,500 Back Pay: $4,085 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $7,083 Sources: Settlement Agreement; Ingram, Women's Group Demands Polanco's Removal From Post, L.A. Times (Mar. 28, 2001) |
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| 1997 | Assembly | Mickey Conroy (R) and Pete Conaty | $360,900 | $591,629 | Employee claimed that, "If we were in a hotel for a fund-raiser, [Conroy] would consistently make comments such as, he did not know if he should make one hotel room reservation or two, since he had two women with him." | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: To "a dead-end clerical job in the Assembly after an Assembly Rules Committee investigation found Conroy in violation of Assembly policy on sexual harassment" Award: $360,900 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: Unknown Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Katches, Conroy accuser to get $ 360,900, Orange County Register (Jul. 18, 1997); Bancroft, Aide Tells of Capitol Kisses, S.F. Chronicle (Aug. 24, 1994). |
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| 1996 | Assembly | Tom Connolly (D) | $100,000 | $167,480 | Employee (first victim) sued for sexual harassment. Abuser was later convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: Unknown Award: $100,000 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: Unknown Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Lucas, Assembly to Settle Sex Harassment Suit, S.F. Chronicle (Jan. 4, 1996); Times Staff Writer, Ex-Lawmaker Sentenced for Having Sex With Girl, L.A. Times (July 4, 1997) |
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| 1996 | Assembly | Tom Connolly (D) | $100,000 | $167,480 | Employee (second victim) sued for sexual harassment. Abuser was later convicted of having sex with a 14-year-old girl. | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: Unknown Award: $100,000 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: Unknown Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Lucas, Assembly to Settle Sex Harassment Suit, S.F. Chronicle (Jan. 4, 1996); Times Staff Writer, Ex-Lawmaker Sentenced for Having Sex With Girl, L.A. Times (July 4, 1997) |
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| 1995 | Assembly | Harvey Trice (R) | $10,000 | $17,085 | Employee complained that over a two-year period she was the target of vulgar sexual remarks | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: Unknown Award: $10,000 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: Unknown Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Gladstone, Assembly Paid $10,000 to Settle Harassment Case, L.A. Times (Nov. 14, 1995) |
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| 1995 | Assembly | Rusty Areias (D) and John Barry Wyatt | $59,500 | $101,656 | Employee claimed her office's chief of staff subjected her "to continued unwelcomed sexual advances," which she rejected. She alleged that the chief of staff sought to touch her in an inappropriate manner, yelled at her in public using obscene terms, and described his own sexual exploits. She also claimed that Areias "ignored sexual harassment complaints she lodged against his chief of staff and that [he] later threatened her with the loss of her job if she pursued the charges." | |
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Gag Clause: Unknown No-reemployment Clause: Unknown Employment Shuffle: Unknown Award: $59,500 Back Pay: Unknown Attorney Fees: Unknown Other Amounts or Arrangements: Unknown Sources: Lucas, 4 Women Say State Assembly Covers Up Harassment, S.F. Chronicle (Nov. 3, 1995); Gladstone, Sex Harassment Suit Names Areias, Chief Aide, L.A. Times (Aug. 28, 1994) |
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| Total | $1,944,112 | $2,753,688 | ||||
Legislature Sexual Harassment Payouts (Unverified)
| Year | House | Complaint Against | Total Amount (Known) | Total Amount (2017 Dollars) | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Senate | Unknown | $4,500 | $4,500 | Unknown | |
|
Gag Clause: Terms Confidential No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $3,500 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $1,000 Other Amounts or Arrangements: $0 Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 2015 | Senate | Unknown | $45,084 | $47,517 | Unknown | |
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Gag Clause: No Disparagement No-reemployment Clause: No Employment Shuffle: To GOP Caucus Award: $25,000 Back Pay: $7,128 Attorney Fees: $12,500 Other Amounts or Arrangements:$456 Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 2014 | Senate | Unknown | $85,400 | $91,319 | Reports of employee being fired for nepotism. | |
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Gag Clause: No Disparagement No-reemployment Clause: No Employment Shuffle: To GOP Caucus Award: $25,000 Back Pay: $7,128 Attorney Fees: $12,500 Other Amounts or Arrangements:$456 Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 2011 | Senate | Unknown | $89,500 | $101,096 | Type of harassment sustained unknown. | |
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Gag Clause: No No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $89,500 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements:$0 Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 2007 | Senate | Unknown | $0 | $0 | Unknown | |
|
Gag Clause: No No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $0 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements:Three months pay Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 2007 | Senate | Unknown | $0 | $0 | Unknown | |
|
Gag Clause: No No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $0 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements:14 weeks pay Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 2007 | Senate | Unknown | $45,000 | $54,456 | Unknown | |
|
Gag Clause: Terms Confidential No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $45,000 Back Pay: Plaintiff's share of mediation costs Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements:$0 Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 1997 | Senate | Don Sweat | $32,000 | $52,458 | Unknown | |
|
Gag Clause: Terms Confidential No-reemployment Clause: Yes Employment Shuffle: No Award: $45,000 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements:$0 Sources: Settlement Agreement |
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| 1994 | Senate | Cliff Berg | $5,000 | $8,684 | Unknown | |
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Gag Clause: Terms Confidential No-reemployment Clause: No Employment Shuffle: No Award: $5,000 Back Pay: $0 Attorney Fees: $0 Other Amounts or Arrangements:$0 Sources: Settlement Agreement | ||||||
| Total | $306,484 | $360,030 | ||||