San Diego jury awards $3.5M in sexual harassment verdict against Orange County DA's office

A San Diego jury on Tuesday awarded $3.5 million to an Orange County deputy district attorney, finding the county liable under California's Fair Employment and Housing Act for sexual harassment and failing to prevent workplace misconduct.

The plaintiff, Bethel Cope-Vega, testified that she endured a hostile work environment and sexual harassment at the Orange County District Attorney's Office while under the supervision of Gary Logalbo.

Kimberly Edds, Director of Public Affairs for the Orange County District Attorney's Office, said in a statement that the office has always supported victims of sexual harassment and their right to sue and receive compensation.

"The OCDA has and continues to advocate for all its employees to be free of discrimination and harassment," Edds said. "This verdict is about the harassment engaged in by a former Senior Assistant Deputy District Attorney; it is also a condemnation of the actions of County Counsel. He hired an outside investigator who threatened our employees with termination if they did not participate in the investigation and promised them confidentiality. Then County Counsel went on to publicly humiliate and victim-shame these women by deeming the confidential report a public document, failing to adequately protect their identities in that public document and then releasing it to the media. We are not in any way surprised by this verdict or the dollar amount since County Counsel broke its promises to these women and betrayed their trust."

In her complaint, Cope-Vega described repeated sexually harassing behavior, including late-night phone calls in which LoGalbo asked what she was wearing and said she was the naked subject of his dreams. Jane Roe Two v. County of Orange et al., 30-2022-01252445-CU-OE-CJC (San Diego Super. Ct., filed Mar. 30, 2022)

She further testified that when she physically distanced herself in his office out of discomfort, Logalbo responded with explicit remarks, including: "You know, you don't have to stand back there. Are you afraid? I'm not going to just bend you over that chair and take you from behind," and "I'm not going to bite unless you ask me to."

Cope-Vega is among several Orange County District Attorney's Office employees who initially filed workplace harassment complaints against the county. In August 2021, the complainants agreed to settle their claims for six-figure amounts, but the Board of Supervisors rejected the proposed settlement.

Two of the plaintiffs later resolved their lawsuits for a combined $1.3 million. Three additional cases remain pending.

"Having to sue the job I continue to love has been heartbreaking. This was never about money for me or the other victims -- it has always been about standing up to injustice and doing what is right," Cope-Vega said in a statement following the verdict.

Her attorney, Aaron Brock of Brock & Gonzales LLP, praised his client's record as a public servant.

"My client is a devoted public servant whose only goal has ever been to serve her community with integrity," Brock said. "Being named California's Outstanding Prosecutor of the Year in 2024 -- an honor voted on by elected District Attorneys across the state -- speaks volumes about her character and professionalism. The County of Orange should not only be proud of her exceptional work but grateful for the dedication, fairness, and leadership she has brought to the Orange County District Attorney's Office and to the community she serves."

The verdict follows another high-profile case involving similar allegations within the office. In that matter, former senior prosecutor Tracy Miller secured a $3 million jury verdict that was later increased by more than $1.5 million in court-awarded attorney fees, bringing the county's total financial exposure in that case to about $4.5 million. Jane Doe v. County of Orange et al., 30-2025-01509844-CU-WT-WJC (O.C. Super., Ct., filed Sept. 08, 2025).