Former Porterville Police Officers, Ana Isabel Moreno and Anthony Luckey, have filed suit in federal court against their former employer, alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, racial discrimination, and violations of their constitutional rights. The cases, which name both the City of Porterville and Police Lieutenant Bruce Sokoloff as the primary defendants, have drawn increasing attention in the local community as they make their way through the United States District Court for the Eastern District of California, Fresno Division.
Both plaintiffs are being represented by Lawrence J. King, Esq, Law Offices of Lawrence J. King of Petaluma.
The suits, filed in November of 2024, center around allegations of misconduct by Lieutenant Sokoloff and the City’s handling of internal complaints. The filings paint a picture of serious racial and sexual discrimination inside the Porterville Police Department and raises questions about how the city manages complaints of retaliation against fellow officers.
In a statement provided by email, the City of Porterville wrote: “The City of Porterville is aware of the lawsuit filed by former employees. While we cannot comment on the specifics of pending litigation, the City takes these matters seriously and will respond through the appropriate legal process. We remain committed to serving our community and supporting our employees as this legal process moves forward.”
The Attorney representing the plaintiffs was also contacted, but did not respond.
Moreno v. City of Porterville & Sokoloff
Moreno’s case alleges the sexual harassment stems from the police department and the City of Porterville’s administration’s “boys club” culture.
The suit states, “The Porterville Police Department (“PPD”) and the City of Porterville have a significant problem that they bitterly refuse to acknowledge and correct. The highest rungs of PPD leadership are composed of a ‘boys’ club’ of male officers, including current Chief Jake Castellow, who have for years violated the rights of the female police officers, violated the rights of male officers who spoke up for those female officers, and even violated the rights of female citizens. When these female officers or their male allies have spoken up, formally or informally, men like Chief Castellow and Assistant Chief Dominic Barteau and numerous others have rallied around the violators and orchestrated the firing of the complainants and the ruining of their careers.”
Moreno joined the Porterville Police Department in 2019 and was assigned Sgt. E. Martinez as her direct supervisor. On several occasions, Sgt. Martinez became angry and would yell at her for unwarranted reasons just to humiliate her in front of the other officers according to the suit.
“She noticed her fellow male officers did not receive public ‘dressing-downs’ from Sgt. Martinez” and the suit says “Martinez would later come to Plaintiff privately and say he had “over-reacted.”
But Martinez’ pattern of yelling at and insulting Moreno in front of her co-workers continued while he refrained from criticizing the male co-workers in front of other employees, the suit alleges.
“On December 15, 2019, while attending a social gathering at a fellow PPD officer’s house with her children, Plaintiff was met outside by Sgt. Martinez. Sgt. Martinez appeared to be intoxicated. He addressed Plaintiff and said that if he told her: ‘So if I say do this, it means you just do it. And if I say ‘Let’s fuck,’ it means let’s fuck.'”
Corporal Enrique Lara was her other supervisor and Moreno alleges that Lara initially was openly hostile to her. “He would ignore her when she asked him a question, acting as though she was not speaking to him, and then walk away. Plaintiff never saw Cpl. Lara ignore male officers when they spoke to him. As with Sgt. Martinez, Plaintiff did not initially understand why Cpl. Lara treated her this way, in a manner that he did not treat similarly situated male officers.”
The suit continues, “Later, on or around May 14, 2021, Cpl. Lara sent Plaintiff a disturbing and repulsive video of himself naked from the waist up, drinking a beer, and asking her to come to his residence to swim alone with him. Plaintiff declined.”
In March of 2020 Moreno was assigned Sokoloff as her supervising officer and initially regarded him as a mentor before, she alleges, he began sending her inappropriate text messages and making unwanted sexual advances.
Moreno recounts in her Third Amended Complaint a disturbing series of encounters that included demeaning comments and inappropriate texts, “including harassing her via text over the course of five days to have drinks alone with him, and then harassing her repeatedly over the course of four days to go away with him alone while his wife and children were out of town.”
Moreno claims that when she rebuffed Sokoloff’s advances, he shifted his behavior toward punitive actions and began to criticize her work, write her up for alleged policy violations, and interfere with her approved vacation time.
Moreno further contends that after she began dating Luckey, Sokoloff intensified his scrutiny of her, placing her in what she describes as dangerous or humiliating assignments, eventually threatening her with termination.
In one specific instance, Moreno alleges that Sokoloff ordered her to transport a transient with mental health issues who was exposing himself, despite obvious safety concerns, and later boasted and laughed about the incident to other officers.
In August of 2021 Sokoloff messaged Plaintiff to tell her that he was being promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant. Corporal Lara had also been promoted to Sergeant by this time.
On September 30, 2021, Officer Luckey was terminated as the result of an Internal Affairs investigation initiated and conducted by Sokoloff.
According to the suit, on September 31, 2021, Sokoloff, came in on his day and ordered Moreno to meet with him. He informed her that he had initiated and conducted the Internal Affairs investigation that resulted in Officer Luckey’s termination. “Sokoloff told Plaintiff that Department administrators were now keeping an eye on her; that she would be under scrutiny for possible negative responses to Officer Luckey’s termination.”
By early 2022, Moreno claims, the harassment and retaliatory actions created working conditions that forced her to resign.
She was allegedly not the only female officer harassed by Porterville’s male police officers.
Her suit states, “The Porterville Police Department’s problem is its widespread practice of supporting, retaining, and promoting male officers who sexualize, demean, harass, taunt, and bully female officers with no repercussions or discipline, while unlawfully terminating or forcing out anyone who complains.”
“In 2020, four female officers filed grievances with the City of Porterville alleging sexual harassment, discrimination, and retaliation,” the suit claims. “Those women have claimed that there are many more female officers currently employed by PPD who are suffering but too scared to come forward because they have witnessed what happens to the women who do.”
In another case of discrimination the suit alleges, “in 2022, the City Council unanimously upheld the termination by PPD of a female officer who had made a formal complaint that she was being sexually harassed by a PPD sergeant. The official reason given by PPD for her firing according to news reports was her alleged lying about her ‘use of a personal vehicle when traveling to Sacramento to go through basic traffic collision training.’”
Luckey v. City of Porterville & Sokoloff
Luckey, who started work for the Porterville Police Department beginning in 2020, states in his suit that he was terminated in 2021 after what he says was a retaliatory action orchestrated by Sokoloff.
Luckey, who identifies as African-American, alleges that his termination was racially motivated and compounded by his romantic relationship with Officer Moreno,
According to the court filings, Luckey believes that Sokoloff targeted both him and Moreno once he became aware of their relationship and cohabitation.
Specifically, Luckey says that Sokoloff “violated his right to associate with a member of another race” and that he disapproved of interracial relationships between Black males and White women. Luckey further alleges that Sokoloff believes in a White Supremacist ideology regarding racial and ethnic purity, which he disclosed to Officer Moreno on several occasions.
Luckey is convinced that Sokoloff engineered false accusations against him to justify his termination, arguing that the discipline he received was inconsistent with how his White colleagues were treated in comparison. Luckey claims that the city failed to effectively intervene and correct Sokoloff’s threatening behavior, letting him off the hook, with no accountability or recourse.”
The City of Porterville has denied any wrongdoing in the matter, countering that Luckey was terminated for legitimate performance-related reasons. Attorneys representing the city have asked the court to dismiss or limit claims because they allege that Luckey failed to provide facts and sufficient evidence to demonstrate discrimination or retaliation, using identical language as in the Moreno case.
Motions for Dismissal and Oppositions
The legal back-and-forth has been extensive in both Moreno’s and Luckey’s cases. In Moreno’s matter, the city’s motion to dismiss asserts that her Title VII and FEHA sex discrimination claims fail to meet the mark.
Moreno’s opposition disputes these arguments. She maintains that her complaint clearly alleges harassment severe enough to alter her working conditions, that the city is attempting to hold her to a higher pleading standard than required, and that her retaliation claims include specific acts such as cancellation of vacation time and initiation of internal affairs investigations.
She also disputes the city’s position on municipal liability, asserting that the City retained authority over Sokoloff’s decisions and can be held accountable for failing to prevent misconduct.
Luckey’s case has also been met with efforts by the city to limit or dismiss claims on grounds of insufficient pleading. While the specifics of those filings have not been as publicly detailed as Moreno’s, the city has consistently maintained that Luckey’s allegations are not adequately supported. Luckey, on the other hand, continues to argue that his firing was the product of retaliation and racial discrimination tied directly to his relationship with Moreno and his willingness to challenge unfair treatment within the department.
The next hearing will be October 22, 2025, at 9:00 AM in Courtroom 8 before Magistrate Judge Barbara A. McAuliffe.
About damn time something gets out there. The City will forever continue to sweep this under the rug though. They’ve always taken care of their own. Chief Castellow and Dominic Barteau are CROOKS. So is the city. Some many more victims who have yet to have a voice
The highest rungs of PDC OPS leadership are composed of a “boys’ club” of male Lieutenants, including Acting Assisting Chief Chris Contreras — who even went so far as to create his own title. Contreras previously worked for the Porterville Police Department, which was facing lawsuits at the time, and he left that agency only to bring the same hostile work environment with him to PDC OPS. He was later joined by Michael Gray, a former Sergeant at Porterville Police Department, who came to PDC OPS with the same motive. Along with others, they have for years violated the rights of female police officers and retaliated against male officers who spoke up on their behalf. This entrenched culture of favoritism, intimidation, and discrimination has created a hostile environment where accountability is absent, misconduct is overlooked, and those who dare to challenge the status quo are silenced through retaliation or career sabotage.
I have serious concerns regarding the conduct and practices of OPS. The department repeatedly fails to comply with the Peace Officers’ Bill of Rights Act (POBAR), disregards labor laws, and modifies policies arbitrarily without notice or adherence to Government Codes. These actions undermine both fairness and due process.
Additionally, OPS does not prioritize officer safety. They frequently staff shifts short of minimum standards, often dismissing or even mocking concerns raised by officers about unsafe working conditions. This creates unnecessary risks for personnel and the clients.
Additionally, the moral is so low, that you have very qualified people leaving the department to seek employment elsewhere and remove themselves from the toxic work environment the Commander and Lieutenants have established.
How dare you disrespect my family and try to make this about you! How narcissistic are you?!? Nobody cares about OPS. You guys don’t do anything but watch us handle business, sleep in your cars and try to hook up. We’re here to talk about real problems and real cops.
Ana and Anthony we are praying for you! Stay strong! You got this!
Maybe some people care about both departments!! When management leaves one corrupt department and brings their same destructive behavior’s to another it becomes an issue for everyone, so I’m sorry but you seem like the narcissist! Sounds like you handle a lot more than just police business.
As a former officer at the department I can say that PPD is ran by tyrants a misogynist. Dominic Barteau (who at the time was a sergeant) was drunk, off duty, and passed out at the intersection of Newcomb and Olive, after drinking all night with his mistress. A citizen calls the complaint in and officers respond to the intersection and find Barteau passed out at the wheel of his vehicle. The officer who responds notifies his supervisor who instructs them to drive Barteau home which he does. Barteau is demoted, as is the supervisor, and the officer was disciplined and later targeted. This proves their history of coverups. Barteau immediately starts getting re promoted after being demoted and weasels his way to his current position, “Assistant Chief.” The department is ran by men who look at women as property. For instance, in a prior comment Michael Gray’s name was brought up. Gray is known throughout town for his antics with women, along with Michael Benas. The pd used to have a building on Main Street where male officers would take women and proceed to have relations. It was almost like a badge of honor how often women were passed around from partner to partner and were often bragged about. Michael Benas is the cause for an another lawsuit currently in which he sexually harassed women through the department, however despite the lawsuit and evidence, was allowed to medically retire, and the internal investigation was closed because of his friendship with Barteau and Costello. Benas is a monster and deserves to be in jail, women still fear him because of his connections within the department. I am also aware of two officers who were targeted by Barteau and Costello because they were injured. Barteau asked one of the officers if he was “f#####” a female officer as if the female officer was property of Barteau and Benas. In another lawsuit a female officer was targeted and recently settled a case against the city. As I was standing in the hall with that officer while she was going through the investigation, I watched Barteau and Costello walk past her and give her dirty looks, as if they wanted to assault her. They later lost that case in court. The administration is ran by corrupt and dishonest human beings. I thank god everyday of my life I no longer work there. I still do not go to Porterville because I fear that if seen by any of the administration that my life or anyone with me would be in jeopardy. Behind all the stuff that has went on in that department I am surprised that the federal government hasn’t stepped in and removed the admin from their duties.
Was it Barteau that was passed out on Olive at Thanksgiving long ago? I never found out who that was. But he’s trash for sure.
Nothing that’s said here is wrong. Bless you for speaking out. Michael Benas SHOULD be in jail. You’re not wrong there. And there were people who actually deserved to medically retire but the crooked administration never allowed that until him. They took care of him as they always did. There are even several known cases of Police Brutality against him that also got covered up. Body camera footage got deleted and Case numbers were even sent to DOJ but DOJ also failed to do their job. And for you idiot civilians who are saying none of this ever happened, well you’re part of the problem. There are so many more cases that have yet to come to light because people will always be scared. Retaliation and them ending your career here is real. They do it in a way that isn’t obvious to the public. They’ll chalk it up to a “policy violation” or try to label you a liar to end your career/life. Former Chief Erik Kroutil, Lt Rich Standridge, Lt. Brian Nix and Benas didn’t all just leave out of the blue for nothing. They exited quickly in panic for what was to come like the cowards they are. The rest is on god hands and the truth will prevail. Justice will be served.
This has been going on for years. I remember my aunt telling my mom that a porterville police officer raped her before he turned her loose. They have been known to take certain people out into the country and either rape or beat them. I know of several incidents. I’m happy these 2 officers came forward to finally stop the harassment,
This has been going on for YEARS, even back when Chris Dempsie was running the police department. Major things like drug busts would just get swept under the rug. And if it was certain people—teachers, coaches, or anyone “well-connected”—who should’ve been arrested? Forget it. Nothing ever happened, because they didn’t want it to mess up their kids’ spots on the sports teams. How many times does this have to happen before people wake up? How many passes do the same people get while the rest of us would be thrown in jail? It’s the same old good ol’ boys club—if you’re in with the police department bigwigs, you get away with it. Everyone else is left to pay the price.
And the sad part is we’ve got so many teachers using drugs who are still in the classrooms teaching our kids. When is enough, enough? When are we going to start holding them accountable like everyone else? Why aren’t teachers being drug tested the same way so many other professions are? Our children deserve better.
Holy moly and to think yrs back my son was mentored by Benas had I known , I would have never let him go on ride alongs whith him , who know what could have happened to my Son
As a former officer, I’m glad to see the light finally shining on the corruption within both Porterville Police Department and OPS at the Porterville Development Center. At the same time, I feel for the officers still left behind, forced to endure malicious and inhumane conduct under failed leadership.
Law enforcement is built on a code of ethics, yet management at both Porterville locations believes they are above both the law and the standards we swore to uphold—forgetting where they came from. For decades, PPD has been plagued by these same issues, with officers left unprotected. Narcissistic behaviors have been tolerated, accountability has been nonexistent, and as a result, the department has become defined by lawsuits—a pattern that will continue until real accountability is demanded.
Even worse, individuals such as Gray and Contreras have carried this same toxic mentality over to OPS. “Assistant Chief” Contreras—a title he fabricated himself—along with a group of unqualified and corrupt lieutenants, is driving OPS into the ground. Their unchecked actions have already resulted in lawsuits, and more will follow until this corrupt administration is removed and replaced with leadership committed to integrity, accountability, and the protection of both officers and the community.
I have known Sokoloff for many years & him & all of the males in his family were brought up to be womanizers & narcissists!
That’s the culture of their family! It’s awful to think about what his beautiful wife has had to endure all of these years!
And these are the people we trust to serve and protect us. They can’t even respect each other . What make you believe they have any respect for us. How can we trust there credibility. We have to hold them accountable for what they do. No one is above the law something has to be done about this .We can’t even trust the higher up.
This is absolutely disgusting, and it’s time the governor hears about this and higher than that the senator.. Porterville Police Department and the City of Porterville are going to be very surprised in a about another 2 weeks when it all comes to the end for them all…
PDC OPS hired some of the most corrupt and unfit officers from PPD-individuals widely regarded as the lowest in integrity and professionalism. Here are just a few examples: Eriverto “Eddie” Rivera (PPD)-while he was a sergeant, he would resort to public humiliation to demean the officers he didn’t consider his friend, in front of their peers. He permitted misconduct to take place under his supervision, fostering a toxic and unprofessional environment. He permitted a female officer to arrive on duty while intoxicated, allowing her to sleep it off during her shift while receiving full pay. Despite this track record, he has been promoted and holds a senior supervisory role.
Michael Gray-was hired directly into a supervisory position-bypassing officers who’ve worked there for years. He’s worked multiple overtime, going beyond what is allowed, and frequently bragged about how much money he made while contributing little to no actual work.
Amalia Johnson (PPD)-attempted to sexually harass male officers by trying to entice them into looking at her inappropriately and using those situations against them. Her behavior created an uncomfortable environment for both male and female officers. She’s also been promoted multiple times, first as an Evidence Officer, bypassing senior officers, despite lacking experience. Due to her alleged marital affair with her supervisor, the Evidence Sergeant, ultimately led to her receiving yet another promotion-this time to the position of Special Investigator.
Pete Bisacca-who holds the highest position at OPS, has consistently failed to protect his officers from ongoing misconduct and abuse of authority. Instead of standing up for his officers, he allowed Lieutenants Eddie Rivera, Carlos Martinez, Justin Davin, Chris Contreras, and others to undermine him and treat him as a figurehead. Under his leadership, racist and discriminatory practices and targeted harassment have been permitted.
Chris Contreras (PPD)-was hired into OPS under a fabricated title and, within his first year, received multiple promotions despite having no relevant experience-directly violating OPS P&P. He frequently hosted parties at his home and invited his subordinates, allowing them to drive while intoxicated. While on duty, he brought alcohol to an officer on PDC grounds. He routinely monitored officers by watching them on cameras, listening in on their conversations, and even driving through the PDC facility while off duty to keep them under surveillance. Those officers who contributed to the harassment were considered his friend and were all later promoted. Numerous female administrative staff transferred to other locations due to his persistent and unwanted advances, which made them feel deeply uncomfortable. Others ultimately retired early, unable to continue working under the ongoing harassment and hostile environment he created. Contreras is a creep and a predator and how he’s getting away with the things he’s done is beyond me.
It is important not to overlook Amber Moreno’s (PPD) role in these issues. Although she claims to be a victim and publicly aligns herself with female victims, her actions tell a different story. While employees at PDC OPS who spoke out against Contreras and was faced with retaliation and harassment, Moreno remained silent –largely because she benefited from her close relationship with him and took advantage of his position. She was part of his group that partied with him and was promoted. When confronted with concerns about Contreras, she victim-blamed others and dismissed their experiences, insisting she didn’t understand why anyone disliked him. Whenever situations didn’t go her way, instead of following the proper chain of command, she bypassed protocol and contacted Contreras directly to resolve the matters in her favor. She has criticized PPD for “taking care of their own,” yet she was also protected by Contreras. Ultimately, Moreno contributed to and enabled the very misconduct at PDC that she now claims to oppose at PPD.
“PDC OPS hired some of the most corrupt and unfit officers”
Hello Al Garcia. You may as well use your name instead of hide behind “anonymous” …you don’t work there anymore so why not say it loud and proud and not hide behind anonymous …unless you’re embellishing your perception because you’re bitter that you got pushed out 🤷🏻♀️
Hey Amber, why don’t you take accountability? You don’t think we saw anything? We saw everything. We saw you chasing after female staff while you were still married. We know you and your supervisor Adrian Venegas and Officer Christian Orozco were sleeping in the annexes. You don’t think we were there while you were being lazy and trying to dismiss reports? When we called for help, you and Officers Venegas and Orozco were lazy and didn’t want to be there and do the work. You don’t think we saw you and that creep Contreras hanging out together? We know what happened after you all partied at his house and were driving home drunk. We saw Officer Orozco with male staff parked outside the units hanging out with them inside her patrol car late at night. We saw her with her supervisor at Camp V early mornings inside his patrol car while she was off of work. You go after Officer Garcia, who was one of the officers who actually did his job and never dismissed any report. Bitter? I don’t think so.
You and the rest hiding behind anonymous are the ones who should use your actual names. The reasons these corrupt individuals continue to get away with everything from crimes to civil violations is because of all of those that have always posted/reported “anonymously” how about if you think you’ve been wronged you do something about it. Instead of hiding in places like this.
Multiple people sent me screenshots of this article or I would not have even known about.
You clearly don’t know me because if you did you’d of known that hiding anonymously has never been my style.
I did not post anything on here nor will I post after this.
So if you’re looking for me to say something on here, hold your breath……
I will say that whoever the anonymous folks are they are not wrong, on the PDC portion at least.
So good luck to all those people affected and god bless.
AL G. took the words out of my mouth. Stop hiding behind anonymous, and get your facts straight. I haven’t been on here since my first comment WITH MY NAME, nor care to be because I don’t let this disturb my peace. It was also sent to me because those who know me, know this isn’t true and I tried to help where I could but sometimes you’re fighting a bigger animal. So do yourselves a favor and go where you’re valued. If you want change, stop fighting behind anonymous and seek your own help/lawyers. Stop piggy backing off something from PPD. That’s going to get you no where. Start your OWN fight but leave out the petty sh*# and only bring to light the serious stuff. That might actually get you somewhere.
The PPD has been racist even to the citizens of Porterville. They racially profiled my coworkers asking if they’re immigrants. One of them said to the officer that they needed to go to the bathroom and he said to “pee his pants” because it’s going to be awhile. They need to report the whole PPD. This is ridiculous and as citizens we’re supposed to feel safe with people like this?
I don’t.