Gates Fires Aide Accused of Sex Harassment

SANTA ANA —  Orange County Sheriff Brad Gates fired one of his top commanders Wednesday, a trusted 30-year veteran who was named in sexual harassment lawsuits filed recently by three female employees.

A 2 1/2-month internal investigation into the allegations against Assistant Sheriff Dennis LaDucer, 52, persuaded Gates that the man he had handpicked for the position more than a decade ago “clearly . . . violated our department rules and regulations.”

“At the Sheriff’s Department, we are all part of a family,” Gates said Wednesday evening. “It’s always an uncomfortable and sad moment when any employee conducts themselves in an inappropriate way, no matter who the person is, man or woman. They are all part of my family, so it is always uncomfortable.”

LaDucer, who has been on administrative leave since May, could not be reached for comment.

Gates declined to discuss the specific findings of the internal investigation, citing the pending litigation involving the three employees who accuse LaDucer of continually harassing them at work.

“It was clear facts that led me to believe violations took place,” the sheriff said.

When the suits were filed in June and July, Gates initially vouched for LaDucer, who was in charge of the patrol and investigations division for the 1,300-officer department. And last month Gates said he was skeptical about whether the extreme behavior described in the lawsuits had taken place.

In their suits, all three employees, including one of the highest ranking women in the department, also name Gates as a defendant and accuse him of contributing to a work environment hostile toward its female employees. One suit accuses the sheriff of making offensive statements about women that contributed to the overall tone of the workplace. The sheriff has denied ever knowing about--much less condoning--such behavior.

The termination went unannounced at the department Wednesday, and LaDucer’s attorney, Bruce Praet, complained that his client wasn’t told of the abrupt decision before the media received word. Praet also said the Sheriff’s Department failed to notify LaDucer that the internal investigation had been completed. Sheriff’s officials delivered termination papers to LaDucer late Wednesday.

“It’s kind of surprising,” Praet said of his client’s dismissal. “We were confident, based on the information we were aware of, that there was little or no merit to any of the allegations. Unless there’s some tremendous amount of evidence in the department’s investigation which has not been disclosed to us, I’m surprised that they would take this action.”

County officials who were told of Gates’ decision praised the sheriff’s integrity. Board of Supervisors Chairman William G. Steiner said that the conduct of which LaDucer is accused “is not the norm” for the Sheriff’s Department, and that Gates simply did what he had to do.

“By his actions, the sheriff made it clear that he will make tough decisions no matter the circumstances,” Steiner said. “It shows that no one is free from accountability for their behavior no matter their rank or position.”

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It was unclear Wednesday what effect the termination will have on the pending lawsuits, including any financial judgments LaDucer could be ordered to pay.

LaDucer, who had ascended easily through the ranks of the county’s largest law enforcement agency at an early age, was regularly assigned to represent the sheriff before the Board of Supervisors and was perceived just a few years ago as Gates’ likely successor.

But the lawsuits claim he was equally known for his attitude toward women. The suits allege that LaDucer relentlessly groped, propositioned and intimidated women under his command, including Lt. Wendy Costello, a 14-year veteran of the department who was in charge of education and crime prevention programs in the community projects department. Costello, 36, is on unpaid leave. Her lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for mental, emotional and physical injuries.

Her attorney, Pat Thistle, who also represents the two other women who filed suits against LaDucer, said he was impressed with Gates’ decision Wednesday.

“I’m relieved that this guy’s not going back to work there,” Thistle said. “Sheriff Gates has finally acknowledged what women of his department have known for years.”

Gates, however, insisted he has no reason to believe that the sexual harassment allegations were anything but an isolated incident and that the firing should not reflect badly on the department as a whole.

“We have an excellent department and an excellent reputation for conducting ourselves in highly professional manner,” he said. “What we have is one situation. I made a decision based on the facts in that one case.”

LaDucer has been touted recently as a strong candidate for the post of police chief with several smaller departments, according to sheriff’s sources. The San Clemente resident, who is married to a psychologist, can choose to appeal the termination, a decision his attorney said has not been made.

“He didn’t know this was coming,” Praet said. “He had no idea at all.”

Times staff writer Geoff Boucher contributed to this report.