SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The City of Simi Valley will pay $230,000 and implement mandatory civil rights training for supervisory personnel to resolve a state-mediated employment complaint alleging sexual harassment, illegal retaliation, and disability discrimination, state civil rights officials announced.
The administrative settlement was formally announced by the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) on Wednesday, August 12, 2026.
According to an official agency announcement published by state officials in Sacramento, the enforcement action originated from a complaint filed with the state in 2025 by a female employee of the City of Simi Valley. The worker alleged that municipal administrators failed to address her internal reports of workplace sexual misconduct and subsequently took adverse actions against her.
Allegations of Managerial Inaction, Pretextual Reprimands, and Accommodation Denial
The complainant detailed that her supervisor repeatedly subjected her to unwanted sexual harassment, including displaying inappropriate photographs in the workplace.
When the employee resisted the misconduct and formally reported the behavior through internal channels, her manager allegedly initiated retaliatory action. According to CRD filings, the manager reprimanded the employee using an unrelated personnel matter as a pretext for punishment. Despite the formal internal report submitted by the worker, city officials allegedly took no corrective action to investigate or address her harassment concerns.
Around the same timeframe, the employee formally requested a modified work schedule to accommodate a documented disability.
The worker submitted a medical evaluation from a licensed healthcare provider to support her request for workplace accommodation. However, city administrators denied the request, despite evidence showing that other municipal employees had been granted similar work schedules without incident.
State Mediation and Voluntary Settlement Terms
Following an initial evidentiary investigation, the California Civil Rights Department offered the City of Simi Valley an opportunity to resolve the administrative allegations through state-sponsored dispute resolution.
Under the terms of the mediated settlement agreement, which was negotiated by Senior Mediator Andrea Fernandez-Jackson, the City of Simi Valley agreed to a series of binding remedies without admitting legal liability or administrative wrongdoing:
- Monetary Compensation: The city will pay $230,000 in direct financial compensation to the affected employee.
- Supervisory Training: The city must provide specialized training to the supervisor involved regarding state civil rights protections, covering laws against workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, and retaliatory practices.
- State Compliance Reporting: City administrators are required to submit a comprehensive compliance report to the California Civil Rights Department within 90 days.
"Everyone deserves a safe and welcoming workplace," said California Civil Rights Department Director Kevin Kish in an official statement. "When issues arise, it’s the employer’s responsibility to take concerns seriously and act swiftly to address them. This settlement demonstrates that there can be serious consequences for failing to appropriately address complaints of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation."
Employer Responsibilities and Civil Rights Rights in Public Employment
Under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), California law strictly prohibits sexual harassment, disability discrimination, and retaliation against workers who engage in protected activities, such as reporting workplace misconduct.
Public agencies and municipal governments are held to rigorous legal standards requiring immediate, impartial investigations whenever an employee reports workplace harassment or discrimination.
Furthermore, when an employee provides medical documentation requesting a reasonable accommodation for a disability, California employers are legally mandated to engage in a timely, good-faith interactive process to explore accommodations. Failing to address internal complaints or taking retaliatory personnel actions exposes public entities to costly administrative settlements and legal liabilities.
State civil rights leaders emphasize that public sector managers must foster transparent, retaliatory-free reporting environments that prioritize employee safety, disability access, and legal compliance.
The California Civil Rights Department serves as the state entity responsible for enforcing civil rights protections across employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs.
Employees or job applicants who believe they have experienced unlawful workplace discrimination, harassment, or retaliation can file an online inquiry with the California Civil Rights Department or access educational resources at calcivilrights.ca.gov. Members of the public can contact the CRD Communications Office directly at (916) 938-4113 or via email at publicaffairs@calcivilrights.ca.gov. Official settlement notices can also be reviewed on the California Civil Rights Department news portal.