An employee of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Accounting Division has filed a civil complaint against Rodrigo De La Rosa, an accounting clerk in the Sheriff’s Office and the husband of County Administrative Officer Sonia De La Rosa.
According to the lawsuit, filed on Aug. 3 in Monterey County Superior Court, the plaintiff, named as Jane Doe, “was subjected to repeated sexually suggestive comments, intimidation, stalking-type conduct, whispering in close physical proximity, unwanted flirtation, sexually charged remarks, repeated insinuations regarding intimacy and affairs, invasive and threatening behavior.”
The complaint details how Doe, who served as a lead on the agency’s accounts payable team, had supervisory responsibility over other employees, including Rodrigo De La Rosa, a senior account clerk in the finance division.
“Upon his arrival,” the complaint alleges, “Mr. De La Rosa immediately made clear to plaintiff that he considered himself protected by virtue of his spousal relationship with the County’s Chief Administrative Officer.”
Following their introduction in May 2024, “Mr. De La Rosa’s conduct became increasingly personal, sexually suggestive, intimidating and threatening,” according to the complaint, which also alleges that other coworkers expressed concerns to Doe about Rodrigo De La Rosa’s behavior, and described him as “creepy.”
According to the lawsuit, in 2024 Doe spoke with several officers about the behavior, including Undersheriff Keith Boyd, who assured Doe that they were “taking this seriously” and that she needed to be patient.
The lawsuit claims that, despite the assurances, nothing was done to stop the behavior, and that Doe requested a transfer or reassignment so she would not have to work with De La Rosa. However, that never occurred, and she remains on unpaid leave, according to the complaint.
County Counsel declined to comment on the pending litigation.