Citrus’ former dean of Counseling Programs and Services has filed a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment and retaliation against Citrus College.
In the lawsuit, Nicole Smith said she was the subject of sexual harassment and retaliation while serving under her supervisor, Richard Rams, vice president of Student Services.
Smith claimed that Citrus College leadership failed to take any action to end the harassment and instead created unfounded bases to terminate her employment.
In an email, Robert Sammis, director of human resources, said the district does not comment on pending legal matters. However, specific to this matter, Sammis said the District disputes the alleged claims, as he said they contain factual inaccuracies.
The lawsuit was filed with the Los Angeles County Superior Court on March 29. Smith is demanding compensation greater than $25,000: specific amounts were not mentioned and Smith’s lawyers did not respond to questions.
According to the lawsuit, Sammis in a letter indicated the following reason for Smith’s termination:
- Consuming alcohol during an Aug. 18, 2022, department-wide, off-campus, happy hour while on work time.
- Creating divisions in her counseling department by treating male counselors more favorably and thereby giving them more leadership roles.
- Engaging in a pattern of demeaning and angry behavior toward classified staff.
Smith’s role as dean began on July 1, 2019, and ended on Dec. 13, 2022.
Rams became vice president of student services in February 2021.
Smith in the lawsuit alleges the harassment lasted from August 2021 until December 2022.
On several occasions in the lawsuit, Smith alleges that Rams made sexually themed comments toward her and talked about her appearance.
Smith, in the lawsuit, also said Rams allegedly used abrasive and demeaning language to describe her behavior.
Citrus College on May 19 filed a response with the court to Smith’s lawsuit, denying every allegation and damages suffered by Smith.
According to the lawsuit, on Aug. 12, 2021, Rams allegedly told Smith that she shouldn’t be moving boxes because women shouldn’t be performing that kind of work in the first place and because she was dressed too beautifully. Also in an alleged incident on Zoom, Rams allegedly told Smith that he would give her a “paddling” in his office.
Smith said she was embarrassed and humiliated by the comment made in front of her colleagues because she understood it to be sexually laced.
However, in an investigation by Citrus, Rams said he meant that he was offering to give Smith a paddle, which she could use to hit him “upside the head” for stepping on her toes during the meeting.
Court documents also show that on May 12, 2022, Melissa Utsuki, executive director of Communications and External Relations and co-worker of Smith, told Smith that Rams complained about her (Smith’s) tight clothes during lunch.
In another alleged incident on Aug. 10, 2022, Rams told Smith that she dressed well and was good-looking and that he wanted Smith to “put as much effort into her work as she did her appearance.”
On Sept. 2, 2021, Smith met with Brenda Fink, Citrus’ Title IX coordinator, and Sammis to formally complain about Rams’ inappropriate behavior.
According to court documents, Smith allegedly told Fink that Rams would raise his voice at Smith and that, at one point, Rams slammed his fist on a desk during a conversation with her, which made her feel intimidated and unsafe.
Smith alleged that Rams treated other employees with more respect and deference than her.
According to the lawsuit, Fink allegedly responded by saying that her complaint sounded like a business complaint and that she would share Smith’s complaint with Sammis, who would relate the complaint to Superintendent/President Greg Schulz.
The lawsuit said that the appropriate response was to investigate Smith’s complaint instead of discussing it with Sammis or Schulz.
After attending a sexual harassment training presented by Sammis on Oct. 12, 2022, Smith made a formal complaint through email to Human Resources about the sexual harassment allegedly experienced under Rams.
Smith in court documents said she was triggered because so many of the issues discussed during the training had been inflicted on her by Rams in prior years.
Fink responded to the email stating that Smith should use the Employee Assistance Program (a federal program that helps federal employees resolve personal issues that negatively affect their work life) as needed and that they would follow up in the future.
In a follow-up meeting with Sammis, Fink, and another manager, Sammis allegedly raised his voice at Smith, telling her she was wrong for her complaints.
Smith, in the lawsuit, said she met with Schulz twice to address her concerns about Rams.
In the first meeting, Smith claimed that Schulz was disinterested in her complaint, as he constantly checked his phone. Smith said that Schulz said he would look into her complaint and cut the scheduled hour-long meeting to 30 minutes.
In another meeting with Schulz, Smith reported her concerns about Sammis’ inappropriate behavior in the recent meetings and the lack of follow-up regarding her complaints about Rams.
Smith said she felt like this was an unsafe environment. According to court documents, Schulz allegedly dismissed Smith’s complaints as he checked his cell phones several times during the 10-minute meeting.
According to court documents, Schulz responded to Smith’s complaint by telling her to “take a day off” and “just relax.”
To get out of Rams’ supervision, Smith allegedly asked Sammis to be transferred to the Career and Technical Education dean position, but Sammis denied the request, according to court documents.
Smith brought up a disparity regarding the denial, as Sammis allowed Michael Wangler, former dean of Mathematics and Business, who later became dean of Career and Technical Education, to make a similar transfer without applying independently.
Smith told Sammis that she experienced stress and anxiety while working under Rams and that Citrus’ lack of proper intervention was causing her personal and family issues, the filing says.
In February 2021, Smith said she sought treatment for stress and anxiety because of Rams and Citrus’ failure to address her complaint. In November 2021, Smith said she contracted shingles due to the stress.
In an incident that led to an investigation by Rikesha Lane, an attorney hired by Citrus, the Counseling Division held a meeting on Aug. 18, 2022, which ended early. After the meeting, the lead counselor, who wasn’t mentioned in court documents, invited the full-time counselors to a restaurant for a “team building” time. According to the court document, about 20 people attended, and most ordered alcoholic drinks.
On Oct. 17, 2022, Smith met with Lane, who questioned her about her activity during the happy hour.
Lane asked Smith if she drank alcohol, made negative comments about Rams, and whether the happy hour was an extension of the workday. Smith admitted that she drank alcohol but said the workday ended before the happy hour.
On Nov. 17, 2022, Smith met with Sammis and Fink and was informed that Sammis was recommending that the college should terminate her on Dec. 13, 2022.
Smith was given a letter letting her know she was on administrative leave until Dec. 13.
Smith appealed the decision to Claudette Dain, vice president of Administration and Finance.
Dain told Smith that she was still recommending Smith’s termination to Schulz.
On Dec.13, 2022, three of the five present Citrus College board of trustees members, Cheryl Alexander, Laura Bollinger and Mary Ann Lutz, voted unanimously to dismiss Smith. According to the meeting minutes, the other two members, Anthony Contreras and Patricia Rasmussen, were absent due to illness.
Smith, in court documents, refuted the basis for termination.
Smith said Citrus did not follow its policy that requires an escalating form of discipline: verbal warnings, then written warnings, then reprimands, then suspensions or discharge.
Smith said Citrus aggregated anonymous complaints against her, for which she was never given an opportunity to address or remedy.
Rams, Schulz and Utsuki did not respond to interview requests from the Clarion.
Lawyers with Romero Law, Smith’s lawyers, also did not respond to an interview request.
