Former aide to Councilman Jose Huizar files lawsuit alleging an affair, retaliation and ‘ethical violations’

A new lawsuit from a former city staffer accuses Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar of engaging in workplace harassment, retaliation and pregnancy discrimination. A former staffer with Los Angeles City Councilman Jose Huizar is suing the city of Los Angeles, alleging she faced retaliation after voicing concerns that her boss was having an affair with an aide and committing “potential legal and ethical violations.” Mayra Alvarez, who left the councilman’s office in July, said she was demoted and had her responsibilities scaled back after she complained that staffers had been assigned to work during city time on the upcoming council campaign of Huizar’s wife, Richelle Huizar. “Despite local, state and federal laws prohibiting government employees from engaging in political activity on the job, Huizar required his city staffers to conduct meetings in order to plan Richelle Huizar’s campaign,” the lawsuit states. “Those meetings were formally calendared and occurred during normal city work hours and within city properties.” Huizar, in his statement, drew a link between the Alvarez lawsuit and his wife’s upcoming campaign.