A fired former staffer for California Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas claimed in a lawsuit that the top lawmaker and his brother Rick retaliated against her for filing complaints of sexual harassment and unethical conduct.
Former communications aide Cynthia Moreno alleged in the lawsuit that her superiors failed to act on her reports of a colleague sexually harassing her. She claimed the situation escalated after she filed followup complaints alleging that Rick exerted undisclosed influence over pending legislation, culminating in Rick denying her a raise and then firing her.
Moreno lost her job last month after the Legislature’s workplace misconduct unit said she had made inappropriate comments to colleagues. Her lawsuit was filed in Sacramento Superior Court Tuesday evening, according to Moreno’s attorney, Ognian Gavrilov.
A representative for Rivas, Elizabeth Ashford, said in a statement that the Democratic speaker recused himself from Moreno’s firing and that Rick Rivas “had no role in Ms. Moreno’s employment, ever.”
“The vast conspiracy theories included in this filing are absolutely false,” Ashford said. “Ms. Moreno’s long history of lawsuits speaks for itself, and any court will see this for what it is: an attempt by a former employee to force a payout. We will fight these false and defamatory claims aggressively, and we are confident they will be seen for what they are: absolutely meritless.”
Rick Rivas did not respond to a texted request for comment. The speaker’s brother is his most trusted political adviser and a longtime Sacramento player who oversees government affairs for the American Beverage Association. Questions about Rick’s involvement in his brother’s decision-makinghave trailed Rivas since he ascended to the speakership.
Gavrilov, Moreno’s attorney, said the Rivas brothers “have such hubris … they feel as though they’re untouchable.”
“They let her go in such a humiliating public fashion and they think they can get away with it,” Gavrilov said, accusing the brothers of hypocrisy “considering what they’re doing.” He said Moreno had no additional comment on her lawsuit.