October 4, 2024

By Brian Hews • [email protected]

Yet another high-level employee has filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Montebello City Council, this time by Interim City Manager Arlene Salazar. In the lawsuit, Salazar accuses Councilman David Torres of harassment, intimidation, and retaliation. The lawsuit also slammed current City Manager Raul Alvarez, accusing him of harassment and retaliation.

Salazar is currently on paid administrative leave, placed there through no fault of her own.

The harassment and intimidation against Salazar started in 2019 when Torres bypassed then-City Manager Rene Bobadilla by emailing Salazar directly, putting Salazar in an extremely awkward position.

With his emails, Torres blatantly violated Sections of the Montebello Municipal Code.

It was not just Salazar who was affected by Torres’s actions. His behavior created a toxic culture inside City Hall, demanding several other city employees answer his emails, putting them in an awkward position with their bosses.

As a result of his abuse of power, eight city employees filed complaints against him, so Torres, according to sources, compelled the city to initiate a costly investigation in late 2021.

It did not go well. Several employees, including Salazar, were interviewed with the investigators “sustaining” multiple allegations of misconduct against Torres. In an investigation like Torres’s, “sustained” means that there was enough evidence to prove the allegations were true.

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