O.C. Sheriff Fires Aide in Harassment Case

SANTA ANA — Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates fired one of his top commanders Wednesday, a trusted 30-year veteran who was named in sexual harassment lawsuits filed recently by three female employees.

A 2 1/2-month internal investigation into the allegations against Assistant Sheriff Dennis LaDucer, 52, convinced Gates that the man he had handpicked for the position more than a decade ago “clearly . . . violated our department rules and regulations.”

“At the Sheriff’s Department, we are all part of a family,” Gates said Wednesday evening. “It’s always an uncomfortable and sad moment when any employee conducts themselves in an inappropriate way, no matter who the person is, man or woman. They are all part of my family, so it is always uncomfortable.”

LaDucer, who has been on administrative leave since May, could not be reached for comment.

Gates declined to discuss the specific findings of the internal investigation, citing the pending litigation involving the three employees who accuse LaDucer of continuously harassing them at work.

“It was clear facts that led me to believe violations took place,” the sheriff said.

When the suits were filed in June and July, Gates initially vouched for LaDucer, who was in charge of the patrol and investigations division for the 1,300-officer department. And last month Gates said he was skeptical about whether the extreme behavior described in the lawsuits had taken place.

In their suits, all three employees, including one of the highest-ranking women in the department, name Gates as a defendant and accuse him of contributing to a work environment hostile toward female employees. One suit accuses the sheriff of making offensive statements about women that contributed to the overall tone of the workplace. The sheriff has denied knowing about--much less condoning--such behavior.

LaDucer’s termination went unannounced at the department Wednesday, and his attorney, Bruce Praet, complained that his client was not told of the decision before the news media received word. Praet said the Sheriff’s Department failed to notify LaDucer that the internal investigation had even been completed. Sheriff’s officials delivered termination papers to LaDucer late Wednesday.

“It’s kind of surprising,” Praet said of his client’s dismissal. “We were confident, based on the information we were aware of, that there was little or no merit to any of the allegations. Unless there’s some tremendous amount of evidence in the department’s investigation which has not been disclosed to us, I’m surprised that they would take this action.”

It was unclear Wednesday what effect the termination will have on the pending lawsuits, including any financial judgments LaDucer could be ordered to pay.

But the lawsuits claim that he was known for his attitude toward women. The suits allege that LaDucer relentlessly groped, propositioned and intimidated women under his command, including Lt. Wendy Costello, a 14-year department veteran who was in charge of education and crime prevention programs in the community projects department. Costello, 36, is on unpaid leave. Her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for mental, emotional and physical injuries.

Her attorney, Pat Thistle, who also represents the two other women who filed suits against LaDucer, said he was impressed with Gates’ decision Wednesday.

“I’m relieved that this guy’s not going back to work there,” Thistle said. “Sheriff Gates has finally acknowledged what women of his department have known for years.”

Gates, however, insisted that he has no reason to believe that the alleged sexual harassment was anything but isolated incidents, and said the firing should not reflect badly on the department.

“What we have is one situation,” he said. “I made a decision based on the facts in that one case.”

Times staff writer Geoff Boucher contributed to this story.