Ex-Sheriff Villanueva seeking $25 million from LA County for placement on ‘do not rehire’ list

The combative former sheriff, who was ousted by voters in 2022, is challenging county claims that he made discriminatory remarks about the inspector general.

Former Sheriff Alex Villaneuva plans to sue Los Angeles County for more than $25 million in damages following his placement on a “do not rehire” list for alleged discriminatory remarks aimed at Inspector General Max Huntsman.

A tort claim filed Wednesday, May 15, stems from a county Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission determination in 2023 that Villanueva had violated county discrimination and harassment policies. In response, the county Equity Oversight Panel placed a “do not rehire” note in the former sheriff’s personnel file.

“After a long, storied career in public service, Villanueva’s career has been dealt a lethal blow due to respondents’ secretive legal proceedings, unabashedly devoid of any notice, due process, transparency — and even the respect assured by respondents’ own published policies,” Carney R. Shegerian, an attorney representing Villanueva, said in the claim filed with the county Board of Supervisors. Such claims typically are precursors to a lawsuit.

Huntsman did not respond to comment and the Los Angeles county counsel’s office said it is reviewing the claim.

“At this point, however, we can say that the county takes seriously its statutory requirement to be transparent about its peace officers’ actions, including the type of sustained misconduct that led to a “Do Not Rehire” recommendation for former Sheriff Villanueva,” the office said in a statement.

The claim alleges the Los Angeles Times falsely painted him as a bigot in an article on Jan. 31, just five weeks before the March election in which he was challenging Fourth District county Supervisor Janice Hahn. Mail-in-ballots began going out to voters on Feb. 1, the day after the Times story was published.

According to the Times story, Huntsman had accused Villanueva of “dog-whistling to the extremists he caters to” when he repeatedly referred to the inspector general by his foreign-sounding birth name, Max-Gustaf.

Subsequently, in an interview with the Times editorial board, the combative former sheriff — purportedly without any evidence — accused Huntsman of being a Holocaust denier.

Villanueva, who lost his bid for reelection as sheriff in December 2022 and lost the March 5 primary election against Hahn, disputes that his use of the name “Max-Gustaf” is discriminatory or harassing.

Huntsman has publicly used that name on his county desk plaque and it also appears online at Transparent California, a salary and pension database for California public officials, the tort claim notes.

Villanueva also alleges the county Office of Inspector General continues to defame him on its website, stating the Sheriff’s Department under his leadership “has gone to great lengths to keep its conduct secret.”

The claim states the county has provided Villanueva “zero opportunity” to defend himself, question witnesses, provide testimony, submit evidence and challenge his placement on the “do not rehire” list.

Villanueva said his employment ineligibility designation is unprecedented, noting that even disgraced former Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who was sentenced in 2023 to 3 1/2 years in federal prison for bribery and fraud stemming from his tenure as a member of the Board of Supervisors, does not appear on such a list.

“People are going to hear hard facts and this time we’ll hold the board (of supervisors) accountable for what they have done with taxpayers’ resources,” Villanueva said during a phone interview Wednesday, adding that he is looking forward to his day in court.

Villanueva’s tenure as sheriff, which began in 2018, was plagued by numerous public battles with the oversight commission stemming from his refusal to comply with subpoenas compelling him to testify about deputy gangs within the Sheriff’s Department. He finally provided testimony to the commission in January.

Villanueva also faced widespread criticism after he attempted to rehire former Deputy Caren Carl Mandoyan, who had worked on his election campaign and had been fired in 2016 for alleged domestic violence, stalking and harassment.