Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Filed Against Mountain View Police Chief
MOUNTAIN VIEW (KPIX 5) – A lawsuit has been filed against Mountain View Police Chief Max Bosel, accusing him of sexual harassment.
The lawsuit was filed by Annie Lohman, a dispatcher with the department.
"He was doing stuff that shouldn't be done by a professional in the workplace and she was having to witness it," Jim McManis, Lohman's attorney, told KPIX 5.
Lohman claims harassment included unwanted sexual advances and unwanted physical conduct of a sexual nature toward her.
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The complaint, filed against the chief and the City of Mountain View, said the harassment went on for years. At the time, Bosel led the department's SWAT team and Lohman was their dispatcher.
"Once she made her complaint, then Bosel and his cronies went after her," McManis said.
Lohman has been on paid administrative leave for more than a year.
Mountain View City Manager Dan Rich posted a letter on the city's website, which read in part, "we are…implementing additional training for all Police staff on these standards.
Rich also wrote that the city investigated and that "claims made by the employee were not supported by the facts."
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McManis said he wants a jury to make the final call on Mountain View Police. "They'll try and pass this off as 'boys will be boys.' but boys are supposed to grow up when they get be men, especially when they are in law enforcement," the attorney said.
The court date is set for July.
KPIX 5 asked to interview Bosel on camera, but the City Manager said the chief is out of town on a previously planned vacation.