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By Victoria Franco. Bay City News.
The San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a $250,000 settlement between a former San Joaquin County deputy public defender and the county Public Defender's Office.
April Van Dyke, who was hired by the Public Defender's Office in 2015, filed a lawsuit in 2019 against her employer alleging discrimination, harassment, retaliation, failure to accommodate the plaintiff's disability, failure to prevent discrimination and harassment, and violation of their rights.
A document included in the agenda for Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting indicated that Van Dyke claimed that, during her time of employment, she was subjected to offensive comments and actions related to her sexual orientation.
The lawsuit sought damages for emotional distress, lost wages and attorneys' fees.
The document states that while the county disputes the claims made by Van Dyke, “it has been determined that timely financial resolution along with the release of any and all potential claims is in the best interest of the county.”
Van Dyke moved to Humboldt County and won an election earlier this month to become a Superior Court judge there.
According to the original complaint, in 2016 Van Dyke came out as lesbian/bisexual to colleagues and said she had allegedly been harassed because of her sexual orientation and her coworkers referred to her sex life in “vulgar” and “offensive” terms.
Some of the alleged comments included other lawyers in the office saying, “Do you want me to show you how to eat p—-? I’ve been told I’m very good at it” and “Can I go?” I want to fuck your girlfriend. “I want to see them together.”
Van Dyke further alleged that after failed attempts to control the situation herself, she reported him to her management, who rejected her because of her sexual orientation, causing the former worker to fear for her safety.
“This fear led plaintiff (Van Dyke) to suffer mental disorders that she did not have before,” the complaint states. “Plaintiff required protected leave and medical treatment.”
In 2018, Van Dyke was diagnosed with work-related stress and panic disorder related to sexual harassment, according to court documents.
With no supposed changes in the work environment, Van Dyke eventually left his job.
The law firm representing Van Dyke and the San Joaquin County Public Defender's Office were contacted Tuesday for comment but were not immediately available.
This publication was supported in whole or part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the CaliFornia State Library. 
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