A lesbian who has been selected, but not yet confirmed, as Berkeley's next permanent police chief is asserting sexual harassment allegations made against her "were false."
Interim Police Chief Jennifer Louis' attorney Alison Berry Wilkinson issued a statement on her behalf to the Bay Area Reporter on Tuesday saying that Louis was "fully cleared five years ago after a thorough appeal hearing that included presentation of considerable witness evidence the investigator failed to include or obtain during his examination."
The allegations, which surfaced in the Los Angeles Times last week, certainly caught Berkeley city leaders off guard. The vote to confirm Louis as the first woman, the first openly LGBTQ person and the first Asian American to serve in the role had already been set for November 15, then postponed pending the conclusion of an investigation into alleged misconduct on the part of the head of the police union.
The former vice chair of the city's police accountability board said Louis is alleged to have had prior knowledge in that scandal, which involved racist messages and an illegal arrest quota, but also said that Berkeley City Manager Dee Williams-Ridley believed Louis was innocent in that situation.
Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín declined to respond to a B.A.R. request for comment for this report. He'd told the San Francisco Chronicle last week, however, that the newly-surfaced harassment allegations were "very concerning" and "can't be ignored."
Harassment allegations
Louis has worked for BPD since 1999. In 2016, she became one of four captains on the force. She was named interim chief in 2021.
In 2017, however, the Los Angeles law firm Burke, Williams & Sorensen conducted an investigation into Louis and whether she'd made harassing comments to three women, according to the Times' report.
The investigation concluded that one of the three allegations could be substantiated. The chief at the time, Andrew Greenwood, suspended Louis for five days.
Louis subsequently appealed the suspension to Williams-Ridley, who wrote her up instead.
The Times reported that the Berkeley City Council members were not informed of this incident by Williams-Ridley, who selected Louis as the chief-designate in October 2022 after serving a year and a half as interim chief.
(Williams-Ridley also declined to respond to a B.A.R. request for comment for this report.)
Specifically, Berkeley police Officer Heather Haney filed a complaint against Louis after a SWAT team party in May 2017, at which time Haney alleged Louis told her child, whom she'd brought, to throw a water balloon at Haney because "she's wearing a white tank top." Haney also claimed Louis made a comment about how when a baby doesn't latch on during breastfeeding, "she likes to f— around with the nipple," the Times reported, then turned to Haney and said, "you know what that's like."
In 2020, Louis made a request that the write-up be removed from her record, which it was.
A woman who was interviewed by the Times said that she and Louis had a secret sexual relationship (secret due to Louis' role as her supervisor sometimes). This included, the Times reported, an incident in which Louis "cornered" her at her locker when she was largely undressed, which she found distressing. When the same woman was interviewed in 2017, she'd said she and Louis were friends and that when Louis asked her on a date, she said no.
In the statement Louis gave through her attorney, she stated unequivocally that "the sexual harassment allegations made against me in 2017 were false. I was fully cleared five years ago after a thorough appeal hearing that included presentation of considerable witness evidence the investigator failed to include or obtain during his examination."
She further stated she has "never committed sexual harassment. Nor have I ever discriminated or retaliated against any member of the department or the community."
"The city has a zero tolerance policy against sexual harassment and discrimination," Louis continued. "It also has a strong anti-retaliation policy. I have always fully supported, enforced, and complied with those policies."
Louis stated she has a long record that includes a commitment to diversity in the department.
"I care deeply for the safety and wellbeing of every member of the police department and the community we serve," she stated. "Over the last two years as chief, I have stayed true to my commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I have also established a long record of transparency and accountability, and have worked extensively with all segments of our diverse community to enhance public safety."
Help keep the Bay Area Reporter going in these tough times. To support local, independent, LGBTQ journalism, consider becoming a BAR member.