County Employee Accuses Official of Sex Harassment : Personnel: Supervisors meet privately to discuss the woman’s allegations against the annexation agency’s executive director.

Asexual harassment complaint has been filed against the executive director of a Ventura County agency by one of his employees, an official of the state Fair Employment and Housing Department said Tuesday.

The issue was discussed by the Board of Supervisors in a closed-door session Tuesday, Supervisor John K. Flynn said.

The complaint was filed Aug. 1 by Lynne Kada, executive assistant at the Local Agency Formation Commission, said Ted Herzberg, district administrator of the state agency that is investigating the complaint.

Kada filed the complaint against Robert L. Braitman, LAFCO’s executive director, who has worked for the county for more than two decades.

Kada alleges “that she was sexually harassed and she believes she was given notice of being laid off” because she complained about her boss’s behavior, Herzberg said.

But Braitman said there was no imminent action contemplated that would cause Kada to lose her job.

Flynn said he wrote a memo on Monday to county Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg requesting that he inquire into Kada’s complaint and report back to the supervisors. Wittenberg was expected to make a report at another closed session next Tuesday.

“He is looking into it and trying to settle the issue somehow,” Flynn said.

Ronald Komers, the county personnel director, began looking into Kada’s complaint about a month ago, Flynn said.

Kada, 55, declined to comment on the complaint.

Braitman, 44, said “both Kada and myself are involved in mediation at this time to facilitate better communication between us.” He declined further comment.

Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Maggie Erickson Kildee cautioned against jumping to conclusions.

“Prior to (the complaint) being filed, I have not had anyone complain to me about Mr. Braitman in terms of sexual harassment,” she said.

LAFCO handles annexation matters for the county.

Herzberg estimated that it could take up to a year to investigate Kada’s complaint. If no settlement is reached during the agency’s investigation, there could be a hearing before an administrative law judge, he said.

Then, if one of the parties wants to appeal, the case could wind up in Ventura County Superior Court, he said.

Herzberg, whose region includes Ventura, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, said Tuesday that his office receives 60 to 80 sexual harassment complaints a year.

“That’s probably our largest type of case,” he said.