Politics & Government
Walnut Creek Employees Put On Leave During Lesher Center Case Want City To Pay Up
The four employees are asking for reimbursement of legal fees with one of them seeking compensation for character defamation and lost retirement wages
Four city employees who were placed on leave during a Lesher Center for the Arts child sex abuse case want the city to pay their legal fees and, in one case, perhaps more.
The Contra Costa Times reported that the four employees, who were ultimately cleared of any wrongdoing, have asked the city to pay their legal fees, which range from $7,500 to more than $25,000.
One of the employees, retired Human Resources Director Sally Rice, has also asked for $50,000 for defamation of character and $34,320 in lost retirement wages, according to the Times.
On Tuesday night, the City Council decided not to reimburse the other three employees -- Scott Denision, Lesher Center manager; Barry Gordon, arts, recreation and community services director; and Kevin Safine, Gordon's deputy.
They will decide next month whether to pay a settlement with Rice, the Times reported.
The four employees were placed on administrative leave for more than two months this spring while investigators looked into whether they acted appropriately in the case involving former Lesher Center employee Jason Pedroza.
Pedroza pleaded guilty in August to two sex crimes involving minors in exchange for a 90-day sentence.
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