May 14, 2015
City News Service
The mayor of Carson is being sued for sexual harassment by a former fellow member of the Water Replenishment District of Southern California Board of Directors. Lynn Dymally, daughter of the late Democratic politician Mervyn M. Dymally, alleges Albert Robles, who is still a member of the WRD board and became mayor of Carson last month, harassed her during a district-sponsored trip to Washington, D.C., in November 2013. The Los Angeles Superior Court suit filed this week alleges sexual battery, sexual harassment, gender violence and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and also names the district as a defendant.
Dymally is seeking unspecified damages against Robles, who has been leading efforts to build a football stadium in Carson to lure the Raiders and Chargers.
In a statement released to sportscaster Fred Roggin, Robles said he was “shocked and thoroughly disgusted by Ms. Dymally’s irresponsible and false allegations. I absolutely deny each and every allegation of inappropriate conduct.
“I know that as an elected official I am a target for political attacks. However, Ms. Dymally has gone too far. The consequences of her false and abhorrent allegations reach far beyond me and deeply wound innocent people, such as my wife, children and parents,” he said.
“It’s a shame that Ms. Dymally would stoop so low and hurt innocent people and abuse the judicial system to simply satisfy a personal political vendetta against me for not supporting her initial appointment to the Water Replenishment District and her election,” Robles said.
The lawsuit alleges that Dymally, Robles and others were returning to their hotel rooms when the defendant “forced himself” on her and “was so aggressive that he backed Ms. Dymally into her room against her will and force.”
Dymally alleges Robles began to grope her and attempted to remove her clothing. Robles attempted to have sex with her, but ended up passing out on top of her, the suit alleges.
“Ms. Dymally was able to escape the situation, but was left emotionally traumatized,” her suit states.
That same night, Robles tried to touch Dymally in a sexual way again when she returned to her room, but she was able to push him away, the suit alleges. When she and Robles returned to Los Angeles, he began to harass and bully her during district board meetings, according to the suit.