Woman Claims Glendale Mayor Groped Her

LOS ANGELES (CN) - The mayor of Glendale sexually harassed and battered a woman after promising he could use his position to help her business, the woman claims in court.

Lolita Gonzalves sued Mayor David Weaver in Superior Court.

Gonzalves says in the lawsuit that she worked on Weaver's campaigns and knew him socially for "a few years, a purely platonic friendship." She runs an insurance agency and a business consulting firm "and occasionally had had business meetings and discussions with him over lunch and dinner," she sais in the complaint.

At the "last several" meals, she claims, "Weaver often discussed sexual matters to which plaintiff objected, advising him that he had a problem and should see a psychiatrist, and in no event did she wish to listen to any such discussions involving sex and his sexual fantasies."

Gonzalves says that Weaver "always stated that he wished to discuss business" during their meetings, "offering to help her with business contacts, that he was Mayor of Glendale and would help her with business since he knows many important business people."

But "nothing came of such contacts," she says.

He invited her out against after the April 9, 2013 City Council meeting, Gonzalves says, and against "brought the conversation to sexual matters, to which plaintiff again objected."

This time, she says, after she "objected to sexual discussions by defendant Weaver, defendant then aggressively and violently took hold of plaintiff's right breast, which caused much physical and emotional pain, shock, and embarrassment as many shocked diners witnessed the incident. Plaintiff immediately paid her own bill, reported the incident to the waiter and manager and left the restaurant."

Gonzalves says she filed written complaints with the Glendale City Attorney's Office and the Police Department, both of which blew her off.

She claims her police report "has been placed on a 'freeze report' status [undefined]," and "that two deputy county attorneys, R. Letourneau and J. Dubois, had interviewed me for the purpose of possible indictment and prosecution. However, neither the police nor the district attorney's office has done anything to prosecute the defendant on plaintiff's complaint. Said deputy district attorneys advised a Ms. Brittany Levine of the Los Angeles Times Newspaper and the Glendale News publication that the deputies told her Ms. Gonzalves did not wish to prosecute, though that is not the case."

Gonzalves claims she suffered "severe mental anguish and emotional distress" from Weaver's "knowing and intentional sexual battery against her," which was done "with malice and oppression."

She seeks punitive damages.

She is represented by G. Monty Manibog.

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