Current and former California Democratic Party staffers have filed a lawsuit against the party and its former chairman, Eric Bauman, alleging a culture of sexual harassment and discrimination.
The suit filed Friday in Los Angeles Superior Court describes an atmosphere of workplace drinking, inappropriate comments and retaliation by top officials against those who reported allegations of harassment, reports said.
Bauman, who had been engulfed in sexual harassment allegations, stepped down from his post in November in the “best interest” of everyone.
He declined to comment on the lawsuit through his attorney.
“Mr. Bauman has not been served with any lawsuit and has no further comment at this time,” his lawyer Neal Zaslavsky told the Los Angeles Times.
The three staff members who filed the suit are: Kate Earley, 21, the party’s digital director; Will Rodriguez-Kennedy, 31; and Alton Wang, 24. All were hired in September to help run a voter outreach effort.
Wang was let go in December. He was hired only on a temporary basis, a party spokesperson said.
“There’s no question we all must do more to eliminate harassment in the workplace. Everyone deserves a safe and positive work environment,” acting party Chairwoman Alexandra “Alex” Gallardo-Rooker said in a statement. “Our officers and senior staff are committed to creating a better culture for our staff. As I’ve said before, we must do better and we will.” – READ MORE