A jury has awarded former Police Administrative Manager Rita Ramirez $2.9 million after she sued the city, alleging retired Santa Ana Police Chief David Valentin unlawfully retaliated against her for refusing to pick sides between two feuding police factions.
It’s one of many allegations against the City of Santa Ana and Valentin in a 2022 lawsuit in which Ramirez also claims he forced her to spy on her supervisor and also alleges a culture of discrimination against women in the police department condoned by the department’s leaders.
Early this month, an unanimous jury verdict sided with Ramirez and found city officials failed to address, prevent and remedy the alleged misconduct she faced amid dueling police camps – one headed by Valentin and the other by former police union boss Gerry Serrano.
During his failed attempt to boost his public pension, Serrano filed lawsuits against Valentin and called on the district attorney to probe the former police chief.
[Read: Santa Ana City Hall Parts Ways With Controversial Police Union Leader]
John Barber, one of Ramirez’s lawyers, said his client feels vindicated by the jury’s verdict and she hopes it will bring change to the department.
“She hopes that this will lead to a genuine commitment to gender equality, a meaningful commitment to investigating complaints in a manner calculated to come to the truth and to result in appropriate reactions and changes,” he said in a Monday phone interview.
In a Tuesday email, city spokesman Paul Eakins said the city acknowledges the verdict and will work with their insurance carriers and lawyers to work out next steps.
“The City will work closely with its insurance carriers and outside special counsel team to determine the best course of action with a focus on both fiscal responsibility and fairness and justice,” he wrote.
“The City remains committed to a safe, healthy, and positive working environment for all of our City employees.”
At least two city leaders say the lawsuit is indicative of a need for reform in the department, while another says change has come in the form of new police chief Robert Rodriguez – who Ramirez alleged in her lawsuit pressured her to pick between Valentin’s and Serrano’s camps.
City Councilman Ben Vazquez said it’s time city, police and police union leaders take a hard look at the department and assess how to dismantle the current culture in the police department and make the department more effective.
“Just because Valentin’s gone and Gerry Serrano’s gone, that relationship isn’t healed yet. We’re far from it, and we can’t sweep it under the rug,” he said in a Monday phone interview.
“It’s something that has to be seen critically, and we’re going to need help to make sure that we’re doing right by everybody in the community, including the officers in the department.”
Vazquez also suggested doubling the police oversight budget to help address the problem.
Councilman David Penaloza said the Santa Ana Police Officers Association for years had been complaining about Valentin’s lack of leadership, adding that the district attorney’s office even refused to work with Valentin on community events.
“You were able to see it from time to time, and other officers had mentioned it from time to time, so it’s kind of disappointing to see, but again, not surprising, given the fact that that there are many allegations laid out about David Valentin and the way he ran this department,” he said in a Monday phone interview.
“It’s upsetting.”
Penaloza, who is currently campaigning for a State Assembly seat and whose 2022 city campaign was heavily supported by the police union, said he is happy that there is new leadership in the department and that the city is not hearing complaints anymore.
Valentin is the current President of the Santa Ana College Foundation. Voice of OC reached out to the foundation for his email address as well as forwarding a request for his comments on the verdict and allegations but Valentin didn’t respond.
After publication of this story, current Santa Ana police union president John Kachirisky said his association had raised concerns about the work environment Valentin created and commended the jury.
“Years ago, we raised concerns about the toxic work environment created under former Chief Valentin,” reads a statement by Kachirisky emailed to reporters.
“Since the departure of former Chief Valentin, we have seen significant improvements in our working relationship with the current Chief and his leadership team.”
Councilman Johnathan Hernandez, who is also running for state assembly, said he was disappointed in the police department, which he called the biggest liability in the city and apologized to Ramirez.
“The highest ranking civilian employee there was treated in ways that no employee should ever be on the receiving end of and for that, I want to apologize to Rita on behalf of the City of Santa Ana,” he said in a Monday phone interview.
“I want to condemn any officer who continues to place the city in a position of liability with no regard for the taxpayers who pay out on these lawsuits, especially during a time where we are facing a budget shortfall.”
Hernandez, a vocal critic of the police union, received back to back complaints from three police officers this summer alleging he harassed them, pointing in part to critical social media posts he made online.
Hernandez has denied the allegations arguing it is an attempt to silence him.
[Read: Is a Santa Ana Official’s Criticism of Police Freedom of Speech or Harassment?]
Mayor Valerie Amezcua, Councilmembers Phil Bacerra, Thai Viet Phan and Jessie Lopez did not respond to requests for comment Monday.
Ramirez’s victory comes in a city plagued by police accountability questions as well as workplace concerns and complaints in recent years – all while the city’s police union is one of the biggest spenders on local elections.
Barber and Lawrence Lennemann, another attorney for Ramirez, said there are five other similar pending cases from police employees against the city from Valentin’s tenure as chief.
Barber adds the $2.9 million awarded could increase by millions of dollars based on attorney fees and costs and whether the city decides to appeal the verdict and if Ramirez prevails.
“If they appeal, she has to win the appeal,” he said. “The judge could reverse the decision on post trial motions, the appellate court could reverse the decision – that statistically is not very common but there’s always a chance. And of course, the city could also decide to settle.”
Penaloza said officials haven’t met to discuss an appeal or settling the cases.
Pick a Camp: Feuding Police Factions & Retaliation
In the lawsuit filed in Fall of 2022, Ramirez alleged a pressure campaign by Valentin and other officers to pick between the camps of two feuding police factions – one led by Valentin and the other headed by former Santa Ana Police Officers Association President Serrano.
According to the lawsuit, Ramirez said Commander Jose Gonzalez and then Commander Robert Rodriguez – the city’s current police chief – went to her office to tell her pick between Valentin’s camp and Serrano’s or she would be at the “bottom of the food chain.”
“These ‘camps’ had been the subject of much discussion throughout the department and Ramirez felt as though she had just been delivered a message from the ‘gang leader’ (i.e. Valentin) via his more senior gang members,” reads the lawsuit.
“Ramirez wanted no involvement whatsoever with this situation and explained to them that, while she worked for Valentin, she was a City employee and would not be forced into choosing a ‘camp,’” the lawsuit states.
Rodriguez did not respond to emailed questions on the verdict or allegations Monday.
Ramirez alleges that after she refused to pick a side, Valentin refused to meet with her.
In the lawsuit, Ramirez also alleges that Valentin improperly forced her to spy on and photograph her then-supervisor Deputy Chief Jim Schnabl, who was on leave after an injury and who Valentin disliked.
She also alleges she faced retaliation and threats for meeting with Valentin’s rivals like Serrano and for releasing a public record before ultimately being pushed out of the department.
Finally, the lawsuit paints a picture of a culture of discrimination against women in the department condoned by leadership and alleges Valentin was eager to retaliate against women who complained about him.
The alleged retaliation, discrimination and harassment eventually led Ramirez to resign in the summer of 2022.
“Ramirez was unlawfully constructively terminated, after suffering retaliation, discrimination and harassment due to circumstances entirely unrelated to her performance,” reads the lawsuit.
“City’s termination of, and discrimination, harassment and retaliation against Ramirez violates California law, City’s own Municipal Code and policies and procedures and Ramirez’s civil service rights,” the lawsuit states.
What’s Changed at Santa Ana Police Department?
About a year after the lawsuit was filed, Valentin left the city after announcing his retirement in a letter, in which he seemingly warned the police union held outsized influence over city hall.
Serrano ultimately parted ways with the city that same year after city officials said he attempted to improperly boost his pension and was willing to“burn the city to the ground unless he gets what he wants.”
[Read: Santa Ana Officials: Police Union Boss Threatens to ‘Burn the Place Down’ to Boost His Pension]
Serrano and Valentin weren’t the only ones to leave in 2023.
Former City Manager Kristine Ridge also left, filing a $600,000 claim on the way out that alleged elected officials went to bat for Serrano and pressured her to raise his pension.
A majority of elected officials quietly decided to settle that claim and voted behind closed doors to pay Ridge over $600,000 rather than fight her in court all before launching their own investigation into the claim.
Council members voted 6-1 with Councilwoman Jessie Lopez – who is also currently running for State Assembly – dissenting.
[Read: Why Did Santa Ana Pay Out Over $600K to Settle a Claim Alleging the Police Union Runs City Hall?]
Hernandez said the verdict confirms fears that the police department is “bordering on organized crime” and that the culture has only gotten worse.
He also encouraged other officers to speak up against misconduct.
“I ask that any officer who values serving the public speak up, and that they speak up against their colleagues who are damaging and tarnishing the reputation of the very good officers who do value serving the public.
“Because when so much of Santa Ana’s conversation is around the negative interactions that Santa Ana PD has with our residents, it makes it very difficult for us to see the good.”
Penaloza said Valentin’s departure is the biggest change to happen to the department.
“If you have a sitting police chief that is running one of the largest police departments in the state, and they’re asking employees to pick a side that shows that you clearly have no leadership skills,” he said.
“It’s a good thing that David Valentin is gone.”
Vazquez said their departure doesn’t mean the department’s problems have disappeared.
“I don’t believe it one bit that culture changes because the leader is changed. I think culture is much more deeper and there’s a bigger problem,” he said.
“As leaders, we have to take a strong look and have a real conversation and not a political conversation, but a real conversation of how we’re going to fix these issues.”
Hosam Elattar is a Voice of OC reporter. Contact him at helattar@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @ElattarHosam.