Riverside County supervisors Jeff Hewitt and Chuck Washington had a tense exchange Tuesday, April 13, over the taxpayer-funded $50,000 settlement of a legal claim alleging Hewitt sexually harassed a county employee.
During a portion of Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting for supervisors’ comments, Washington said Hewitt should reimburse the county for the cost of the settlement, which stems from a claim filed Nov. 13.
The one-page claim accused Hewitt of sexually harassing Nasim Nicole Hamrang, a clinical therapist in the county’s behavioral health department, during a May 15 visit to a Cherry Valley skilled nursing facility by a county team that educates skilled nursing staff about the coronavirus and provides personal protective equipment.
The claim did not specify what Hewitt, who is pondering a run for governor as a Libertarian, was accused of doing or saying. In a Tuesday evening interview, Hewitt said he’s against harassment and did not touch anyone or ask anyone out for a date.
County spokeswoman Brooke Federico said the claim was settled Feb. 2. She said via text that whether the county pays for legal costs, judgments or settlements when a supervisor is accused of wrongdoing depends on the facts and circumstances of each case.
Washington said Tuesday that an April 9 Press-Enterprise story about the settlement “was actually kind of news to me.”
“I know that we had asked our county counsel to seek out the claimant’s attorney and see if there was a possibility for negotiation because we were concerned about a high dollar amount coming towards the county,” he said. “But at no time was I ever aware that the county would be footing the bill for the supervisor’s claim should a settlement be reached …”
Hewitt, Washington said, should do “the honorable thing” and reimburse county taxpayers.
“I believe he made a mistake. I think he’s owned that mistake,” Washington said. “He may even want to make a public apology for that mistake. But at the very least, I don’t think taxpayers should have to foot the bill on that.”
Hewitt said since the claim was filed, he’s known little about it and didn’t know the claimant’s name for months.
“And you going ahead and assuming that I did something wrong, it really bothers me too,” Hewitt said. “How dare you ask me to come up and pay that kind of thing when I had even nothing to do with the way it was settled or anything else?”
Washington replied: “Well, I asked (you to reimburse the county), and you say no. So I guess … that’s the end of it. Why did we settle the claim?”
Hewitt said: “You tell me.”
Washington responded: “I don’t know. I was not part of the settlement. Taxpayers are not happy that they’re paying $50,000. I’m not saying that you knew anything about the settlement. But the taxpayers are not happy, so there it is.”
In the telephone interview Tuesday, Hewitt reiterated that he was not involved in the settlement.
“If it were up to me, I would have defended this,” he said. “But unfortunately we live in a world where it is cheaper to settle than to litigate this.”
Hewitt said he was never alone with his accuser during the Cherry Valley visit and at least four people were around him at all times.
“I am against any form of harassment, sexual or otherwise,” he said. “ … I sometimes use compliments or jokes to bring a team together. In government, you only get things done by building a team. But sexual harassment is no joke.”
He added: “I never touched anyone. I never asked anyone on a date. If I was too cavalier and hurt someone’s feelings, that makes me feel terrible in itself. But I don’t know.”
Hewitt said he does not plan to apologize.
“I have nothing to do with the way they handled (the settlement).”
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