Another woman has filed a complaint with the state alleging
former Hollister recreation head Robert Ornelas sexually harassed
her, and she plans to either join the current lawsuit against him
or file one of her own.
Another woman has filed a complaint with the state alleging former Hollister recreation head Robert Ornelas sexually harassed her, and she plans to either join the current lawsuit against him or file one of her own.
Yolanda Mesa, an employee of Jovenes de Antano, an organization housed in the same building where Ornelas formerly worked, filed the complaint May 6 with the Department of Fair Employment and Housing, according to the document.
She also says she informed Hollister City Councilwoman Pauline Valdivia in “late October or early November” about a sexual advance Ornelas allegedly made toward her, according to the complaint.
Valdivia on Friday said she didn’t know about Mesa’s complaint to the state and said she “can’t remember” whether Mesa approached her previously.
“I have to think. I won’t forget something like that,” Valdivia said.
“If she did (tell me),” Valdivia said, “I would probably tell her to deal with it (personally) because it’s outside the realm of this agency.”
Jovenes de Antano is not under the city’s jurisdiction. It’s a nonprofit organization serving senior citizens, and Hollister leases out the city-owned Community Center offices at no charge.
Mesa’s complaint and pending lawsuit joins seven other women – all either current or former city employees or contractors – who filed a suit against the former recreation manager. Mesa is also represented by their lawyer, Bill Marder.
“She’s definitely signed on,” Marder said.
The other plaintiffs claim Ornelas sexually harassed them between October 2000 and May 2003.
Hollister is also named in the suit because the plaintiffs claim officials knew about the problem and didn’t properly address it. Before the suit was filed in November, the city had conducted investigations into complaints of his behavior.
Hollister’s lawyer in the matter, Vincent Hurley, confirmed Marder requested to add another plaintiff. Hurley said he didn’t know much about Mesa and declined to comment beyond that.
“Until we know more about it, I really don’t have another opinion,” he said.
In Mesa’s complaint, she alleges that on the day of her interview with the organization in September 2002 Ornelas hugged her and “pressed his chest against my breasts,” and continued to hold her despite resistance. According to the complaint, he told her, “I’ll put in a good word for you.”
She goes on to specify five other instances when Ornelas allegedly harassed her, including such acts as staring at her breasts and making sexual advances. Another time, according to the complaint, he whispered in her ear, “Yolanda, you look good in blue.”
The other six plaintiffs’ complaints cited instances that include allegations of kissing, inappropriate touching, leering and preferential treatment. One of the plaintiffs was 13, another 17, when the harassment allegedly occurred.
Both are daughters of Ron Miller, whose his wife is a plaintiff as well. The Millers run the Rainbow Theatre program for the city’s Recreation Division.
Miller said the plaintiffs didn’t recruit Mesa. He said she decided to pursue legal action after the lawsuit topic arose in a conversation with another plaintiff, Stephanie Beltran.
“It validates the case and verifies that it’s been ongoing,” Miller said. “It also verifies that the city has known about it, and there have been several people to cover it up.”
As of now, the case is set for a jury trial in February 2005. Marder believes the plaintiffs won’t settle before then, he said.
“They have strong feelings to prove what he did was wrong,” Marder said.
Kollin Kosmicki can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 331 or at
