D.A. Probes Fire Dept. Sex Harassment Claim : Inquiry: Firefighters’ acts forced a secretary to leave work in March, her attorney says. City officials deny they ignored her complaint.

The district attorney’s office has opened an investigation into an allegation by a secretary in the Pomona Fire Department that she was sexually harassed by firefighters and that city officials ignored her complaint.

Irma Rodriguez, 31, has been off work since March, undergoing psychiatric treatment for emotional problems stemming from the harassment, said her attorney, Felix Smith. His client endured “sexual harassment from the physical and emotional standpoint,” Smith said, but he declined to give details or identify the firefighters involved.

Rodriguez also declined to elaborate, saying only that there was more than one incident and more than one firefighter involved.

“It’s hard to talk about,” she said. “It’s very painful.”

Rodriguez, who has worked for the city of Pomona for 10 years and served as secretary to former Fire Chief Tom Fee, said she would not want people to lower their opinion of the Fire Department because “it was only a handful of firefighters that did this to me.”

Rodriguez said she first took her complaint of sexual harassment to the assistant city administrator in charge of personnel.

“I waited, but nothing was done, and it got worse,” she said.

Then, she said, she met with the city administrator, city attorney and city risk manager. Again, she said, no one appeared to be doing anything about her complaint.

City Administrator Julio Fuentes said the city did not ignore her.

“We’ve handled it according to the proper procedures,” he said, adding that the city attorney, personnel director and risk manager are all looking into the matter.

Current Fire Chief John Parker said he could not comment because litigation is involved.

City Atty. Arnold Glasman said the city is moving cautiously because it must protect the rights of the accused as well as those of Rodriguez. He said the pace of the inquiry has been slowed because Rodriguez is unwilling to be interviewed without her attorney present and has not signed a written statement of the allegations.

Fuentes said he was puzzled by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s interest in the case, since the city routinely deals with sexual harassment complaints and has disciplined employees when warranted.

A district attorney’s spokeswoman said it is not unusual for the office to look into sexual harassment charges involving public agencies. She said the inquiry began after a complaint was filed in August. Deputy Dist. Atty. Thomas Wenke, who is assigned to the case, declined to comment.

Smith said the city is paying workers’ compensation benefits to his client for her disability.

Glasman said the payment does not mean the city agrees that her stress problems stem from sexual harassment on the job.

Smith said it has not been determined whether Rodriguez is permanently disabled or will be able to return to her job.