Two former California Democratic Party employees and an activist sued the organization in Sacramento County Superior Court on Monday, alleging that they were subjected to sexual assault, harassment, racial discrimination and retaliation by former Chairman Eric Bauman, and that the party failed to protect them.
The lawsuit is the second filed against the party and Bauman in two weeks and the third legal action against both since he resigned in November following allegations of sexual misconduct and inappropriate behavior toward party staff members and activists.
In the lawsuit filed Monday, former party operations director Tina McKinnor alleges that Bauman discriminated against her because she is black and former communications director John Vigna claims that Bauman groped him and sexually harassed him “on nearly a daily basis.” The complaint also alleges that the state party retaliated against McKinnor and Vigna for helping another employee file a sexual harassment complaint against Bauman when it fired them in December.
A third plaintiff, party activist Spencer Dayton, alleges in the suit that he was groped on at least two occasions by Bauman.
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