A $250,000 settlement between a former San Joaquin County deputy public defender and the county Public Defender’s Office was approved Tuesday by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors.
April Van Dyke, who was hired by the Public Defender’s Office in 2015, filed a lawsuit in 2019 against her employer alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate the plaintiff’s disability, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, and violation of her rights.
A document included in the Board of Supervisors meeting agenda Tuesday stated that Van Dyke claimed that during her employment time, she was subjected to offensive comments and actions regarding her sexual orientation.
The lawsuit was seeking damages for emotional distress, wage loss, and attorney fees.
The document stated that although the county disputes the claims made by Van Dyke, “it has been determined that timely economic resolution together with release of any and all potential claims is in the best interests of the County.”
Van Dyke moved to Humboldt County and won an election earlier this month to become a Superior Court judge there.
According to the original complaint, in 2016 Van Dyke came out to her colleagues as lesbian/bisexual and said she was allegedly harassed about her sexual orientation with coworkers referring to her sex life in “vulgar” and “offensive terms.”
Some of the alleged comments included other attorneys from the office saying, “Do you want me to show you how to eat p—-? I’ve been told I’m very good at it,” and “Can I come? I want to f— your girlfriend. I want to watch you guys together.”
Van Dyke further alleged that after failed attempts to control the situation herself, she reported it to her management, who shunned her for her sexual orientation, causing the former worker to fear for her safety.
Van Dyke was diagnosed with work-related stress and panic disorder related to the sexual harassment, ultimately leaving her job.
“This fear led plaintiff (Van Dyke) to mental disorders she did not have before,” stated the complaint. “Plaintiff required protected leave and medical treatment.”
In 2018, Van Dyke was diagnosed with work-related stress and panic disorder related to the sexual harassment, court documents stated.
Without any alleged changes in the work environment, Van Dyke ultimately left her job.
The attorney firm representing Van Dyke and the San Joaquin County Public Defender’s Office were both contacted Tuesday for comment but were not immediately available.
Victoria Franco is a reporter based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. She is a Report for America corps member.
