Sheriff’s Lt. Alleging Harassment Will Get Award

The Orange County sheriff’s lieutenant who claims that a top department official subjected her to sexual harassment is among 10 police officers in the county being honored next month for outstanding service.

Lt. Wendy Costello is set to receive an award from the Society of Industrial Security, an association of police officers and security guard companies. An organizer of the event at the Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim said that Costello was nominated by her superiors earlier this year, before the harassment claim.

“I don’t want to single out just one of the award winners, but she had a very impressive resume and outstanding qualifications,” said Irvine Police Lt. Patrick A. Rodgers.

Costello has filed a complaint accusing Assistant Sheriff Dennis LaDucer of sexually harassing her and other female employees with an ongoing barrage of inappropriate comments and groping, according to her attorney, Pat Thistle.

Thistle said Costello’s complaint followed a “final showdown” with LaDucer, who purportedly ended the conversation by throwing a crumpled-up sheet of paper at her. The piece of paper from Costello’s desk turned out to be the announcement of her pending award, which the attorney called an “ironic twist.”

“LaDucer walked into her office and started pinching the inner arm of a female deputy, and for [Costello] it was the straw that broke the camel’s back,” Thistle said. “She said something and LaDucer just went off. He wadded up this notification of the award and threw it at her.”

LaDucer, who heads all patrol operations and investigations, is on paid administrative leave during an internal investigation of the claims. The veteran lawman and San Clemente resident has declined to comment on the allegations.

Costello is on medical leave, Thistle said. She has also declined interviews through her attorney.

“One day everything was rolling along with a great career, and the next day it’s over,” Thistle said. “And she’s being treated like a suspect by the department instead of someone pointing out wrongdoing.”

Department spokesman Lt. Ron Wilkerson, citing the confidentiality of personnel matters and internal investigations, has declined to discuss Costello’s harassment claims or her career in the department.

The six-page application filed on Costello’s behalf for the Law Enforcement Appreciation Award includes a lengthy list of her professional accomplishments over 14 years.

Costello organized about two dozen events--from a golf tournament to an anti-drug rally at a roller-hockey game--since she joined the sheriff’s community programs unit a year ago.

The resume also states that she supervised 50 employees while assigned to the James A. Musick Branch Jail and that she served a stint as a sergeant of professional standards, overseeing promotions, testing and background checks. She also worked in the Harbor Patrol, with training in rescue and boat navigation.

In addition, Costello coordinated efforts between the Sheriff’s Department and the county’s risk management office and served as the agency’s South County affirmative action representative.

Sheriff Brad Gates issued a written statement last week stating his strong stance against harassment or discrimination in the workplace. He promised a full investigation of Costello’s claims and urged all observers to withhold judgment “until all the facts are determined.”

Thistle said he represents two other women who plan to file similar complaints about LaDucer with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing. One of those clients is a deputy, while the other is a non-sworn employee, Thistle said.