County holds mandatory supervisor harassment training covering FEHA, reporting duties and liability

Calaveras County held a two‑hour mandatory training session on harassment, discrimination and retaliation law for supervisors and elected officials, led by labor and employment attorney Gage Dungey of Liebert Cassidy Whitmore.

Dungey told the board the training satisfies state requirements and emphasized supervisors’ duties to report and escalate complaints to HR or county administration. He outlined the legal framework under federal laws and California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), described protected classifications (including recent additions such as reproductive‑health decision making and cannabis‑use protections), and explained the difference between unlawful harassment (quid pro quo, hostile work environment) and other workplace misconduct such as bullying.

Dungey stressed that supervisors who know of harassment and fail to take prompt, appropriate corrective action expose the county and, potentially, themselves to liability. He gave examples of individual and entity liability, recounted precedent cases, and advised that once the county is on notice of a complaint staff must investigate and close the loop with the complainant. “We owe it to our employees to have a workplace that’s free of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation,” he said.

During public comment, a government‑watchdog publisher asked whether the definitions applied to constituents and nonemployees and whether supervisors could be liable for conduct toward nonemployees; Dungey said specific scenarios involving elected officials and members of the public would require county counsel and management review and are not addressed by the training in abstract.

The session covered practical obligations: documenting verbal complaints, not stopping investigations because an employee later withdraws the complaint, anonymously reported allegations that are sufficiently detailed, confidentiality limits, and options for resolution. Attendees were reminded to follow the county’s equity policy and to engage HR when allegations arise.