CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (CN) - A Texas county attorney double-crossed a sheriff's lieutenant who accused her boss of sexual harassment by referring her to a lawyer who worked for the county, the officer claims in court.
Corina Madrigal sued Kleberg County and Sheriff Edward Mata on Wednesday in Federal Court.
The seat of Kleberg County, pop. 32,000, is Kingsville, 40 miles southwest of Corpus Christi.
Madrigal says work is scarce in the county and she didn't want to lose her job so she said nothing about Mata's habit of groping her breasts, crotch and butt, which began in late 2011.
She claims Mata acknowledged his sins and told her to "keep his secret and not hurt [his] family," but his hormones got the best of him. (Brackets in complaint.)
"His sexually harassing behavior continued to escalate, for example, he grabbed Ms. Madrigal and requested fellatio and sexual intercourse; he asked her if she enjoyed giving fellatio; and he put her hand on his private area and proceeded to rub," the complaint states.
Madrigal says she met with County Attorney Kira Talip, who introduced her to Myra Morris, an attorney in the Corpus Christi office of Royston Rayzor Vickery & Williams.
Neither Talip nor Morris are parties to the case.
"Morris then advised Ms. Madrigal that she was her attorney and would be representing her regarding this issue," the lawsuit states.
Confident that Morris represented her, Madrigal says, she agreed to videotape her complaints against the sheriff. Meanwhile, she says, Mata intensified his groping and requests for oral sex.
"Frantic for help, Ms. Madrigal called her attorney Ms. Morris during the weekend of July 4, 2014. Ms. Morris' response was appalling: 'You need to be a big girl about it, toughen up and go to work,'" the complaint states.
Madrigal says Morris' callous advice dismayed her so she hired another law firm, which notified the county it was representing her.
"Surprisingly, Ms. Morris responded that she was counsel for Kleberg County and the County Attorney Ms. Kira Talip. Ms. Madrigal then learned that Ms. Morris had never worked in her favor," the complaint states.
Madrigal says she had to quit rather than continue working under Mata.
She seeks back pay and punitive damages for sexual harassment and gender discrimination.
She is represented by Melissa Moore of Houston.
Talip, Mata and Morris did not respond to requests for comment.
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