Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Filed Against San Jose City Councilman
SANTA CLARA (KCBS) — A lawsuit filed in Santa Clara County accuses a San Jose city councilman of sexual harassment. His former chief of staff claims he caused her emotional distress.
Denelle Fedor, who also served as campaign manager for City Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio, claims he called her vulgar names and regularly caused her extreme emotional distress, according to the lawsuit filed against Oliverio and the city of San Jose on Sept. 30.
Oliverio,44, who represents the Willow Glen neighborhood, denies the claims and City Attorney Rick Doyle said San Jose will defend him.
The complaint does not state whether the councilman made unwanted sexual advances, but that he subjected her to gender discrimination. It offered no evidence to support the allegations and did not state if there were any witnesses.
Fedor's attorney, San Francisco-based Stephen Jaffe, told the San Jose Mercury News that he would not comment until his firm files an amended suit in the "near future."
Oliverio declined to comment to KCBS, citing the impending litigation, about the sexual harassment lawsuit which seeks unspecified punitive and compensatory damages.
Fedor, meanwhile, still works on the same floor as Oliviero in City Hall but now serves under District 1o Councilman Johnny Khamis.
Oliverio has served District 6 since 2007.
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