MONTCLAIR, Calif. (KNX) — The Montclair City Council voted late Monday night to move forward with censure proceedings against Councilmember Ben Lopez — accused by two city employees of unwanted sexual advances and harassment.
The vote was four to zero to consider censure, with Lopez abstaining. He made no comment about the allegations during Monday’s session.
The allegations arose from two lawsuits filed against Lopez in San Bernardino County Superior Court in December — one by Edmund Garcia, a senior IT specialist for the city, and the other by Michael Fuentes, its director of economic development.
In his suit, Garcia alleged Lopez took him out to dinner and inquired abut his sexual preferences, then repeatedly asked him to engage in sex acts.
Fuentes also alleged sexual advances made by Lopez, which his complaint said were “at all times unwanted.” Fuentes alleged receiving “email messages of a sexual nature” from Lopez, and that in retaliation for refusing the councilmembers advances, Lopez opposed Fuentes’ promotion to the position of director of economic development and disparaged him among colleagues.
Garcia’s copmlaint said Lopez presents as a heterosexual man. Lopez also served for 12 years as a lobbyist and spokesperson for the Anaheim chapter of the Traditional Values Coalition, which the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated an “anti-LGBTQ hate group.”
According to Garcia’s suit, from 2003 to 2015, Lopez publicly lobbied against the legalization of same-sex marriage, inclusion of LGBTQ history in school curricula, and legal protections for transgender persons.
The city hired an investigator in August and earlier this month. The investigator corroborated allegations made by Garcia and Fuentes.
“We have an obligation to the employees to believe them and to protect them” Councilmember Corysa Martinez said prior to the censure-hearing vote. “The investigator found the factual allegations did in fact occur and the employees were credible,” she said.
The council will hold its public hearing and consider adopting a resolution to formally censure Lopez on April 4.
A formal censure against Lopez would strip the councilmember of his committee assignments, ban him from traveling to conferences and meetings, and forbid his use of city exercise facilities and locker rooms.
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