Former Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva sued the county Thursday, saying he was placed on a “do not rehire” list and investigated for harassment without having a chance to respond to the allegations.
The lawsuit filed in federal court lists allegations of defamation, civil rights violations and intentional infliction of emotional distress, alleging the county investigated claims against Villanueva without notice and due process to allow. An oversight panel launched an investigation into complaints of harassment and retaliation related to comments the ex-sheriff made about Inspector General Max Huntsman, as well as allegations that he assaulted and harassed women of color.
In addition to the county, the lawsuit also names the county Board of Supervisors, the Sheriff’s Department and the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) as defendants.
Los Angeles County responded to CBS Los Angeles with the following statement from the county counsel: “LA County denies the former sheriff’s allegations.”
The Board of Supervisors, OIG and Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The result of the investigation, Villanueva claims, was that he was placed on a “do not rehire” list, which prevented him from obtaining other jobs with the county. He claims the province’s actions are politically motivated.
Carney Shegerian, Villanueva’s attorney, said the lawsuit seeks to have the “no rehire” note removed from the former sheriff’s file and seeks $25 million in damages for alleged damage to his reputation.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the oversight panel recommended that Villanueva be ineligible for reappointment after finding that the former sheriff had discriminated against Inspector General Huntsman. Citing an initial complaint filed in March 2022, the Times reported that Huntsman accused Villanueva of using the inspector general’s birth name, Max-Gustaf, in an act of “dog whistling against the extremists he serves.”
A few weeks later, Villanueva publicly accused Huntsman of being a Holocaust denier – apparently without any evidence.
Villanueva was also accused of assaulting and harassing women of color in a complaint filed by a deputy to County Supervisor Hilda Solis. After reviewing both cases, the county’s Equity Oversight Panel recommended that Villanueva be ineligible for new hire.
By then, the ex-sheriff had already lost his re-election bid. In addition, Villanueva lost the March 5 primary against Janice Hahn, the incumbent Los Angeles County Supervisor from the Fourth District.
