A female employee is accusing the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office of discrimination and retaliation in a lawsuit that has been filed.
The complaint was filed on October 11, 2023 by Caroline Ramos, an ID technician (Fingerprint Technician II) with the Sheriffs office since 2011, says her Supervisor, Cyrena Viellieux-Matsutani and unit manager Elizabeth Crawford engaged in, and/or knowingly permitted, the other and members of their inner circle to , to engage in, unlawful discrimination/harassment based on race/ethnicity and disability/medical condition for caring for one or more family members.
Additionally, County/CCCSO and its supervisors Supervisor Viellieux-Matsutani and Manager Crawford, among others, have engaged in retaliation for Ms. Ramos opposing and complaining of unlawful discrimination/harassment based on race/ethnicity and disability/medical condition for caring for one or more family members, and/or retaliation, as well as other illegal conduct at County/CCCSO by its employees.
According to the lawsuit, which is 33-pages, the complaint includes
- DISCRIMINATION IN VIOLATION OF FEHA (Gov. Code § 12940, et seq.);
- HARASSMENT IN VIOLATION OF FEHA (Gov. Code § 12940, et seq.);
- RETALIATION IN VIOLATION OF FEHA (Gov. Code § 12940, et seq.);
- FAILURE TO PREVENT HARASSMENT, DISCRIMIANTION, AND RETALIATION IN VIOLATION OF FEHA (Gov. Code § 12940, et seq.);
- WHISTLEBLOWER RETALIATION (Labor Code § 1102.5, et seq.) 6. INJUNCTIVE RELIEF (Gov. Code §§ 12940, 12965 and Labor Code § 1102.5, et seq.)
According to the complaint:
- When Ms. Ramos called in to state that she would be late due to her daughter’s FMLA covered illness Ms. Viellieux-Matsutani stated “You and your family— if it’s not one fuckin’ kid, it’s the other!”.
- Viellieux-Matsutani and/or her Technician unlawfully running or causing to be run, unauthorized rap sheets and/or CLETS lookups for personal friends or family members, and/or other similar confidential/privacy protected information/systems, in violation of what Plaintiff believed to be privacy/confidentiality/law enforcement, rules, statutes laws, or related regulations, including but not limited to those governing the proper use of confidential/privacy protected databases/systems.
- Viellieux-Matsutani engaging in harassing conduct and creating a hostile work environment, and racist and discriminatory about persons of color (black and Hispanic).
- When reading UIR reports, Ms. Viellieux-Matsutani making comments such as “How much do you want to bet that the suspect is Black or Mexican?’ or “Of course he is Black/Mexican!” or other similar words.
- When talking about an employee who was severely arthritic and disabled and who had recently been married, Ms. Viellieux-Matsutani stated: “How and why would someone want to have sex with her!” or other similar words.
- Regularly disparaging a technician that was overweight and against whom Ms. Viellieux-Matsutani had competed with for the position of supervisor, by stating “Well of course they chose me, I mean look at him– he is nothing but a sweaty hot mess who can’t even speak publicly without sweating profusely. Besides he is so fat and unhealthy he wouldn’t even live long enough to enjoy the position anyways; I give him another 3 years tops! He will never make supervisor he won’t live long enough,” or words similar.
In total, 41 items/instances were included in the complaint.
To view the complaint: C23-02579 – Initial Complaint Filed
Editors Note – similar incidents in 2022
- In August, DA Charges Antioch and Pittsburg Police Officers with Obstruction of Justice and Bribery
- Last year, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to vote on a $350k settlement with the two females as a result of two women who resigned from their positions at the healthcare district due to sexual harassment, unwanted sexual advances, hostile working conditions, and other unlawful actions resulting from Executive Director Lamar Thorpe’s misconduct, and the District’s inaction, despite having knowledge of that misconduct. The settlement did state there was no admission of guilt. — see story
- The Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors has approved an out-of-court settlement in the lawsuit brought by Mary Blumberg, Alison Chandler, Jill Henderson, Mary Knox, and Rachel Piersig against the County and its District Attorney’s Office, Knox, et al. v. County of Contra Costa, et al. The County agreed to pay the five plaintiffs a total sum of $2.2 million dollars, which includes costs and attorneys’ fees. — See story
- In May of 2022 City of Oakley Says Former Police Chief Fired Over Alleged Sexual Harassment
4 comments
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This is a typical case of an incompetent employee crying foul because her boss expected her to show up, on time and do her job. Just a typical lazy , bloated horrible employee. The county should write this waste a check and be done.
Like having a tumor removed.
Anyone that has a horrible boss would understand just how fed up someone can get with comments like these. Employees have rights to a workplace that is fair and unbiased. This is just fighting for what is humane.
What you don’t know is that this person already won a claim made to EEOC after CCCSO HR did nothing.
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