XPost: ba.transportation, sbay.politics, oc.general   
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   From: msnbchomo@espn.com   
      
   The panel charged with looking into sexual harassment claims   
   against Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar has completed   
   its work and forwarded its findings to Council President Herb   
   Wesson.   
      
   Council members have scheduled a possible closed-door meeting   
   Friday to discuss the report, which was produced by Batza &   
   Associates, an investigative firm that specializes in workplace   
   matters. The firm's findings will not be publicly released   
   because Huizar is a city employee and employee matters are   
   considered confidential, said Raelynn Napper, equal employment   
   opportunity division manager for the city's Personnel Department.   
      
   The firm looked into claims made by former Huizar deputy chief   
   of staff Francine Godoy, who filed a lawsuit last year alleging   
   that she faced discrimination and retaliation after she declined   
   to provide "sexual favors." She accused Huizar of sending her   
   home, cutting her work assignments and sabotaging her run for   
   the Los Angeles Community College District.   
      
   Huizar described Godoy's assertions as "malicious and false,"   
   saying he had and Godoy had a consensual, extramarital affair.   
      
   While working for Huizar, Godoy's yearly salary jumped from   
   about $47,000 to more than $132,000 from 2006 to 2013.   
      
   Godoy's lawyer, Michael Eisenberg, did not immediately respond   
   to a request for comment. Robert Alaniz, who has been handling   
   communications for Huizar on the case, said Huizar learned of   
   the report's completion but as of Thursday morning had not seen   
   it.   
      
   If the investigative report clears Huizar, the council could   
   vote to accept it, said Napper, the personnel official. If it   
   finds Huizar engaged in wrongdoing, lawmakers could vote to   
   censure him, she said. Beyond that, "there’s not a whole lot the   
   council could do," she added.   
      
   A trial in the Huizar case is set for November.   
      
   Godoy filed an initial complaint against Huizar last summer,   
   prompting Wesson to convene the Special Committee on   
   Investigative Oversight, a five-member panel assigned to look   
   into discrimination allegations against the city's elected   
   officials.   
      
   Weeks later, Wesson headlined the first fundraiser of Huizar's   
   reelection campaign. During that event, Wesson described Huizar   
   as his best friend on the council. Godoy's attorney, Michael   
   Eisenberg, said soon afterward that those statements had   
   "fatally tainted" the city's handling of its investigation.   
      
   A Wesson spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for   
   comment on Thursday. The special committee initiated an   
   investigation, meeting five times between September and March.   
   In an April 8 memo, Committee chairwoman Christine Littleton   
   described the Batza investigation as "thorough" but did not   
   elaborate.   
      
   The council will consider Friday whether to have taxpayers cover   
   the costs of the law firm Huizar hired for his defense, Walsh &   
   Associates. Walsh started working for Huizar in August and has   
   produced $41,000 in legal bills so far, according to a report   
   prepared this week by City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana.   
      
   City Atty. Mike Feuer cannot represent both the city and Huizar   
   in the Godoy case, since their interests may diverge.   
      
   Normally, when such a conflict exists, city officials turn to a   
   pool of law firms already on hand to represent the employee   
   separately.   
      
   If the council votes to retain Walsh & Associates, the initial   
   contract would allow payments of up to $200,000, Santana's memo   
   said.   
      
   http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-sexual-harassment-   
   investigation-huizar-20140410,0,1145025.story#ixzz2yWIDVKyd   
      
          
      
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