Staff Report

“There was no harassment,” he says, denying allegations from Riverside County Office of Education employee.

A Riverside County Office of Education employee has filed a claim alleging 13 years of sexual harassment and gender discrimination against county school board member Bruce Dennis.

Sandra Martinez Ortiz, a 28-year employee of the county school’s office, and her attorneys claimed during a Wednesday, June 19, news conference that Dennis has sexually harassed Ortiz, discriminated against her based-on gender, and retaliated against her for addressing his behavior and denying his business expenses.

“We aren’t referring to bad moments, as we all have,” Ortiz said at the event in downtown Riverside. “…This case is about 13 years of the same harassing behavior.”

Ortiz, an administrative assistant to the Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, alleged that Dennis bullied her for not approving business expenses that she felt were inappropriate or didn’t follow the Riverside County Board of Education’s bylaws.

Dennis, the board member for Trustee Area 4, denied the allegations and said they stem from a personal issue between himself and Ortiz.

“There was no harassment,” said Dennis, who represents the Hemet, Menifee Union, Nuview Union, Perris, Perris Union, and Romoland school districts. “This is a personality difference between her and me.”

He emphasized that there was no physical contact between himself and Ortiz and that their disputes were over expenses, which he stated are ultimately decided by the board president.

“I think she is mad at me because we did argue about expenses,” Dennis said. “And the board president decides on those expenses. Her role is to process the paperwork, not to determine if business expenses are appropriate.”

Ortiz alleged that Dennis would follow women, not just her, around the office, invade their personal space, make inappropriate comments about their appearance, and bump into her or elbow her for attention.

“If I can smell his breath, he is too close,” Ortiz said.

A claim is a precursor to a possible lawsuit, and if it is denied by an agency, a person can file a lawsuit.

The claim also names Dennis, school board President Ray “Coach” Curtis, and the Riverside County Board of Education. Ortiz alleged that Curtis retaliated against her and told her to “remove herself” from the situation after she complained about Dennis and his behavior.

“He (Curtis) told others I was having mental health issues and he tried to paint it as if I was responsible for all of this,” Ortiz said.

Curtis, the board president, could not be reached for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

“The Riverside County Office of Education takes all matters involving Title IX complaints and sexual harassment seriously,” said spokesperson Craig Petinak in a statement.

An investigation began when a complaint was received in April 2024 alleging misconduct by Dennis, and the board acted immediately and within its scope.

“The Riverside County Office of Education is committed to providing a work environment free of unlawful harassment and discrimination to ensure that employees can successfully carry out the mission of the organization,” the statement said.

An investigation by an outside law firm, completed on May 30, corroborated Ortiz’s claims with testimonies from 18 witnesses, according to Ortiz’s attorney, Denisse Gastélum.

“The superintendent turned a blind eye,” Gastélum said. “We are happy to say this investigation came back corroborating every single alleged harassment.”

Dennis, who served from 1995 to 2008 on the Nuview school board, said the investigation was triggered after he forwarded an email from Ortiz to the office of county Superintendent Edwin Gomez.

“In the email, she alleged that I yelled at her in the April board meeting, after the board meeting had finished, and that I had bullied her and lied about her to other board members,” Dennis said.

Ortiz said previous attempts to address her complaints were met with an unreceptive environment.

“The other times I complained, the environment was supportive of him or, for political reasons, it was accepted,” Ortiz said.

Attorney Toni Jaramilla, representing Ortiz, expressed hope for a resolution.

“Today we are filing the government claim. Where it goes from there, we hope they come to the table to discuss a resolution,” Jaramilla said. “We are not going away.”