Ex-Monterey County sheriff’s sergeant claims in whistleblower suit he was fired as payback

A 23-year veteran of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office has filed a whistleblower lawsuit against his former employer alleging he was illegally fired after helping to form a union, refusing to endorse candidates for sheriff and opposing the sexual harassment of female deputies by Sheriff’s Office leadership.

Former Sgt. Bryan Hoskins was hired as a deputy in 1999 and served until March 2023. In 2021, he became vice president of the newly recognized County of Monterey Patrol Association or COMPA, an acronym that translates to slang for “friend” in Spanish. Hoskins alleges he was asked to endorse the competing election campaigns of Marina Police Chief Tina Nieto and sheriff’s Capt. Joseph Moses — both of whom were running for sheriff.