The Cambria Community Services District's (CCSD) current administration department manager, Monique Madrid, is accusing the district of discriminating against her based on her age and gender, harassing her, and violating the California Equal Pay Act.

A complaint filed on Nov. 26 against the CCSD alleges that district employees harassed Madrid and demoted her, without explanation, after hiring male employees.

Madrid has been an employee of the district since 2001.

According to the complaint, in 2014 Madrid was employed as the district clerk, a department head position earning approximately $129,000.

In 2016, the document states that she was promoted to the position of assistant general manager while retaining the same title and received a 5 percent raise to roughly $136,000—approximately $9,000 less than two male department heads.

In 2018, the district extended a contract offer to Madrid after parting ways with former General Manager Jerry Gruber. The contract was for a promotion to acting general manager that included a salary of $152,000, according to the complaint, and she accepted.

Shortly after serving the maximum time allowed in the position of acting general manager, the complaint alleges that the district hired two males at a higher rate of pay to replace her, even though one had less experience in the field.

The documents state that district administration informed Madrid that she was being returned to her previous position of district clerk without giving her a reason. The demotion included a decrease in both pay and responsibilities. This occurred right before the district hired current General Manager John Weigold, who did not respond to New Times' request for comment.

The complaint states that Madrid was harassed in June, October, and November 2019, and she reported the incidents to the district to no avail. The document states that the district allowed the general manager and other department heads—including the fire chief, previous general managers, and other individuals—to openly disrespect, harass, and belittle Madrid. Madrid's complaints were routinely ignored, the document states, creating toxic work environment for her.

Madrid's attorney, Paul Greco, said he and his client do not have "any further comment to make at this time other than what we disclosed in our public complaint."

Madrid is seeking a civil jury trial for damages and is scheduled to have a first hearing in the Paso Robles Courthouse in March 2020. Δ