Four female prosecutors have sued Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton in federal court in Oakland for alleged gender and age discrimination.
The lawsuit claims Becton has been “systematically demoting and failing to advance, promote and assign supervisory roles to qualified and accomplished prosecutors who are women” and has given supervisory roles to less experienced and less qualified men.
The plaintiffs are deputy district attorneys Mary Knox, Alison Chandler, Mary Blumberg and Rachel Piersig, who have worked as prosecutors in the district attorney’s office for 34, 20, 15 and 13 years respectively.
The defendants are the county, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and Becton.
The lawsuit claims discrimination under both state and federal civil rights laws and asks for an injunction and compensatory and punitive financial awards.
Scott Alonso, spokesman for the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, said, “We don’t have any comment as it’s pending litigation.”
25 comments
The last DA was convicted of breaking the law.
This new DA is accused of breaking the law.
If a DA can’t be law-abiding, who needs them.
Where are the law-abiding lawyers who can manage the DA’s office?
Who does the vetting on these people anyhow?
For vetting you need to look to the voters of Contra Costa… after all she won an elected position – not an appointed one
Perhaps Voters should take more time and learn more about who they are voting for since the DA is an elected official….
The D.A. probably got her training from the FBI. The same folks who lied to the FISA Court. Or, it could just be another case of a Liberal having no integrity. Just remember that Becton plagiarized portions of her application for the vacant position, and the Board of Supervisors hired her anyway.
@ Cellophane
“Who does the vetting on these people anyhow?”
That’s easy! The idiotic California electorate. Her issues were well known before the election.
This is the DA who admitted she plagiarized her application for appointment to the position in the first place. Then, on a split board of supervisors vote, 3-2, she got appointed with Diane Burgis supporting her as the swing vote. Then she won against Graves with ultra liberal George Soros and Willie Brown dumping over $250k into her campaign. First time that has happened in Contra Costa. And guess what, she gets elected with all that money and promptly stops charging people with crimes – including felons! She is partisan too – showing up at every liberal democratic event in the county. Horrible DA and wrong for our county.
These Ladies have been working there for years and they’re going to sue the current DA? Why weren’t they promoted under the other DA’s?
Seems to me like they don’t like working under a female DA.
It’s probably the “demotion” part of the claim they are most concerned about… You back the wrong horse in the DA or Sheriff’s Office race and life can become very hard for you…
FYI – I have not had a case with the others but I can tell you that Mary Knox is one squared away Sr. Deputy DA… You do not want to be the defendant seating across from her in court.
Don’t automatically assume that there was any wrongdoing by the DA. Maybe there was, maybe there wasn’t.
It seems with government employees, and ESPECIALLY with Contra Costa County employees, they’ve learned that the fast track to a windfall is to claim discrimination. Most often it seems the County will settle the claim and let them keep their jobs, so why not? Look no further than the Concord PD, a bunch of harassment and discrimination claims and settlements and the people still work together! I saw this in the CCC assessor’s office too, the smart ones claim that their boss looked at their behind too long when they walked out of the room, so give me a 6 figure settlement and I’ll see you tomorrow.
Wow so all the bashing of men all these years
The slashing and crying of unfairness due to men who have been tormented and blamed for the atrocities of women not getting the job they wanted all the we are women and all of us are being put down by me and not allowed to progress from 9-5
Well now we know it’s not a gender thing woah wait did any of those accused men actually see themselves as men or were they gender neutral all these years
and men Who identified as men have been getting persecuted for years by people who identify as women for holding back said women even though it was obviously not true
Wow I see law suits and marches and congressional democrats flailing around trying take their foot out of their mouth for bashing men ….all men weather they were accused or not
all were seen as pigs and fraternity brothers trying to keep the women out of the work place
Even the military was bashed
Yeah buddy now what
All the women who have made careers out of slandering all men as sexist and racist and gender biased
Let me guess nothing will happen
The man bashing and blaming will continue and pelosi will make a statement as to this is unheralded and does not deter the women from seething and blaming and accusing men of diversity crimes and anti women ladder climbers
I mean you can’t have all these women groups admit they were wrong and the bias is on them for blaming their lack of success on all men who identify as men of course
The politicians and democrats who have gone after men all men for denying women advancement ….finger pointing no matter the evidence or lack there of any wrong doing
A man was always seen as a pig and always denying women the right to achieve on their own merits and smarts and work place hierarchy
A apology obviously will not come but maybe a little r e s p e c t
Will now be afforded to men being blamed for the women not achieving up the so called ladder
So not only is the DA pro illegal and anti American
She is also a powermonger and obviously wants no competition from some women as she wields her high heels on promoting illegals over American citizens rights
and pro socialist communist Sanctuary government ruling this state
and its lack of progress pro corruption Agenda to push the doctrine of democrats or die mentality in the state and beyond
Again I ask the question how can an American citizen become illegal so they can have the rights of sanctuary and the constitution
Instead of being cast out for voter controlled illegals who the democrats are trying to allow to vote as well as criminals
As the weiners and newscums push for criminals to have their records erased so they can vote as well ….democrat of course since dems are pro crime obviously as are the women groups who pushed heavily for prop 47
So their constituents could steal legally
Seems women are easy to manipulate as the DA is showing
Why would a women’s group push for women to be targets of theft ???
Hmmm the answer is the answer to the democrats long game
That they are pulling off in spades
Well done it seems women rule this state
and are using the male politicians as soldiers and marters
Sorry newscum your aunt pelosi is going to sacrifice your career as soon as she can
This should be good
(Though it seems to be getting scrubbed from the internet), a good read is the story of the meltdown of the all female owned and operated television network.
Catfights, underhanded comments about clothing or weight, time of the month, buying each other fat free lattes which really weren’t fat free, DRAMA all around.
I guess it’s harder than it looks to find a good D.A.
Becton! Soros backed, plagiarizer using this job as a stepping stone up the judicial ladder. Won’t be back for next election, I’m guessing.
Having said that, her tenure in this position/office has been full of failures, demotions and retaliation. Just look at what she did to the candidate Paul Graves….demoted to the backwoods, took away the Sex Crimes Unit investigations and the important work he was doing. Failing to investigate Children Family Services, financial crimes and more. Locked down important (i.e. public communications) and could be keeping her head down until its time for her to move on/up).
With the blessing/backing of the board of supes?
IMHO a complete waste of a good pant suit (like Mitchoff).
Let’s revisit Paul Graves for DA next time…if he’ll have us?
Years of service does not entitle you to a promotion.
Vetting? It’s called the Voters. Thank all those in west County who voted for Becton. Let’s hope Graves hangs around to run again.
Maybe they weren’t promoted because they didn’t deserve the promotion. If they weren’t promoted under the previous DA – why didn’t they sue then? Just because you’re “less experienced” doesn’t mean you are less qualified. And years of service, like gender doesn’t qualify you.
Becton is a joke as a DA just as she was a joke as a judge! Many other judges never liked he because she’s known to rule on “Emotion” or “Personal” feelings. Judges have to put aside their own feelings and rule on the Law alone and she is not good at it nor does she practice it. So this comes as no surprise.
Seems people have been quitting the DA’s office on a regular basis because of Becton she has let go many people who other attorneys believe should be prosecuted. Without even consulting with other attorneys.
More than likely she is promoting men who believe in her style and the four women who are suing are not buying her style.
She has a policy of counseling young offenders instead of jailing. To be fair before judging I would like to know the results of those efforts.
Somewhat needs to arrest the current DA for violating Federal law, aiding and abetting illegal immigration.
108RS
Last jury service a woman prosecutor was a total joke.unprepared and could not walk in her high heels. Could not take her seriously. Great entertainment though.
These ladies probably actually believe in prosecuting criminals, REGARDLESS of race/ethnicity, which doesn’t sit well with Soros-backed Becton who is a leftist radical quite vested in protecting (i.e. shillings from prosecution) certain classes of people
My understanding is that many women hold supervisory roles and higher at the District Attorney’s Office. You can be great at being a Prosecutor but maybe a Supervisory role is not a good fit.
@Aunt Barbara your comment is ridiculous. Just because she is a woman does not mean she is incompetent. She may just be incompetent in general but that has nothing to do with her gender. And the fact that she can’t walk in her high heels also has absolutely nothing to do with her competence. For a woman to say this about another woman is Insane. We should lift each other up instead of making fun of each other. Women deserve to be promoted, paid, and treated equally if they are equally qualified.
We are in such a weird time. I remember being counseled to never have a conversation with a female employee in a private office. And always make sure you have an HR witness for any important conversations with anyone. Simultaneous to that, I discovered an entire department of women who openly referred to a female senior manger as “Cinnabon”. The guys may not always be the bad guys.
Kb, that’s not what Aunt Barbara said. You really should apologize for twisting her words like that.
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