CHP officer accusing justice of harassment files lawsuit

Yet another lawsuit has been filed over the sexual misconduct investigation of Justice Jeffrey W. Johnson of the 2nd District Court of Appeal. One of his accusers, California Highway Patrol Officer Tatiana Sauquillo, is suing Johnson, his court and her agency for sexual harassment, sex discrimination and disclosure of private facts.

Sauquillo is one of the key witnesses in the Commission on Judicial Performance's case against Johnson. She alleged Johnson continually harassed her while she was assigned to his security detail from 2014 to 2016.

He once asked her to pull over the car so he could have sex with her, and on another occasion placed his hand on her thigh, according to the commission. He said multiple times he "wanted to take her clothes off, see her without her uniform on, bend her over, and 'fuck [her] from behind,'" according to the commission's charges.

Johnson previously denied all of Sauquillo's allegations and did not respond to a request for comment Monday.

A disciplinary hearing based on Sauquillo's allegations, in addition to those of 16 other women, is scheduled for Aug. 5. Ultimately, the commission could decide to remove Johnson from the bench if the hearing uncovers persistent and pervasive misconduct.

But the originating investigation into Johnson's conduct was fraught and has since spawned litigation independent of the disciplinary proceedings. In July 2018, Sauquillo spoke to a justice and staff member at the 2nd District as part of the inquiry, before the Commission on Judicial Performance took over the investigation, according to Sauquillo's complaint, filed July 17 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. She was assured her interviews would be kept confidential, according to her lawsuit.

But that month, Administrative Presiding Justice Elwood Lui accidentally sent an email with details of Sauquillo's allegations to court-wide email lists, reaching about 10,000 recipients.

Johnson has argued this disclosure violated his privacy and biased accusers against him. He filed a $10 million lawsuit against Lui and the court on July 1, alleging the leak was malicious. Johnson v. Lui, 19STCV22913 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed July 1, 2019).

Now Sauquillo is also suing the court, saying the disclosure caused her humiliation and emotional distress. She took medical leave as a result, which she remains on today, according to her complaint. Sauquillo v. Johnson, 19STCV25184 (L.A. Super. Ct., filed July 17, 2019).

"For two days, Officer Sauquillo cried uncontrollably, felt humiliated, embarrassed, and angry," according to the complaint. "She received countless calls, asking about the details of her allegations which had been leaked."

Robert A. Naeve of Jones Day, who represents the Court of Appeal in both lawsuits, declined to comment.

Sauquillo's lawsuit also alleges a wider culture of gender and racial discrimination within the California Highway Patrol. She is one of about 20 black women in the agency, out of 7,500 officers, according to the complaint.

Since joining the agency in 2009, Sauquillo was subject to sexually and racially offensive comments from superiors and denied training opportunities, according to her lawsuit. When she attempted to report the harassment, she said she was retaliated against.

To escape the pressure and harassment, she transferred divisions and later joined the Judicial Protection Section in 2013, where she was assigned to Johnson's security detail, according to the complaint.

"Here, she hoped the environment would starkly contrast that of the South Los Angeles office," the suit states. "She thought JPS, because of its reputation, would be a smaller, safer environment. Unfortunately, this was not the case."

A CHP spokesperson declined to comment Monday, citing the pending litigation.

"Our complaint details longstanding, systemic sexual and racial discrimination and harassment against CHP Officer Sauquillo, which has been so devastating that her doctors have certified she is no longer able to work," Sauquillo's attorney, Lisa Bloom, said in a statement Monday. "We filed this complaint in the hopes of spurring reforms to protect female and minority CHP officers."