A lawsuit was filed by a lady against state senator Marie Alvarado-Gil of California, alleging that the senator told her to leave a press conference in Stanislaus County earlier in June.
Kelly Coelho, the plaintiff, filed the complaint, according to CBS News. She is requesting damages totaling an estimated $5 million. The woman was attending a demonstration against the placement of “sexually violent predators,” or SVPs, in Stanislaus County homes upon their release, according to Coelho’s attorneys.
Coelho went to the Turlock Police Department with other demonstrators to attend a press conference that Alvarado-Gil and other local officials were holding to voice their concerns about the “SVP” program.
Coelho and her counsel claim that Alvarado-Gil violated Coelho’s First Amendment rights when she allegedly urged local law officials to take her out of the police headquarters during the press conference.
There have been other lawsuits filed against Alvarado-Gil as well.
The senator’s former chief of staff filed a lawsuit of his own earlier this month, alleging that Alvarado-Gil coerced him into a “quid pro quo relationship” that caused him considerable harm.
Chad Condit, the plaintiff in that lawsuit, claims that Alvarado-Gil made repeated demands for sexual favors and services. According to Condit’s lawsuit, he agreed to the terms in order to save his employment.
Condit states in his last meeting with Alvarado-Gil that he had to “twist and contort” himself to have oral sex with the senator while in a car, which resulted in a “debilitating” back injury. Condit reportedly had a collapsed hip and three herniated discs as a result of the incident.
Later in the year, Condit claims that despite his attempts to use his wounds as justification for turning down Alvarado-sexual Gil’s approaches, she reacted by giving him a disciplinary letter filled with a litany of charges, including descriptions of “inappropriate” behavior.
Condit’s lawyers assert that he was ultimately let go in August after he made it plain he wouldn’t carry on a romantic relationship with Alvarado-Gil. Since then, the senator’s legal team has called the accusations “outlandish.”
Attorney Ognian Gavrilov released a statement saying, “A disgruntled former employee has fabricated an outlandish story, presented without evidence, to get a payday.” “We anticipate that the senator will be completely exonerated of any misconduct pertaining to these baseless, self-serving accusations.”
KCRA reports that the California State Senate is also listed as a defendant in Condit’s complaint. Secretary of the Senate Erika Contreras stated, “The Senate has not yet been served in this matter, but we are in discussions with counsel to assess next steps.” “The Senate is unable to comment on matters involving pending litigation, but we take all complaints very seriously.”
