• 12
  • May
    2010

Ongoing and recently filed sexual harassment lawsuits against the San Mateo County Coroner's Office is costing taxpayers of San Mateo County an excess of $500,000 and counting. According to a recent article, county funds have been used to fund the investigation and in-house monitoring of several individuals involved. The San Mateo Coroner's Office under the leadership of incumbent Coroner Robert Foucrault has been the target of several lawsuits for allegations of sexual harassment and misconduct of job responsibilities.

In addition to a sexual harassment suit filed by Foucralt's former employee, the office is also facing a suit brought on by a grieving mother who was failed to be informed by the Coroner's office that her deceased son's heart was going to be retained even after he was laid to rest. 

As a result of these suits, the San Mateo County estimates that the ongoing litigation costs for the heart case alone has totaled upwards of $400,000. Additionally, the expenses involving the sexual harassment allegations filed by a former employee are mounting to almost $26,000. A large amount of the financial burden on the county has been attached to the cost of in-house monitoring of a San Mateo County manager which totaled almost $87,000 in 2008 and $48,000 in 2009.

The state conducted an external investigation of the Coroner's office, conducted by a retired judge, which determined that Foucrault's office had a laundry list of inappropriate offenses. The judge found a history of pornography in the workplace, employee birthday cakes with naked women and employees drew breasts on a life-size fake skeleton in the office among a large amount of other inappropriate behavior. Furthermore, Foucrault has also been accused of mooning two employees during his tenure.

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