“It did a lot of damage” | Maintenance worker set to sue city of San Antonio over alleged assault and sexual harassment

SAN ANTONIO. A maintenance worker prepares to sue the city of San Antonio over allegations of sexual harassment and assault by her superiors.

Maria Villegas was joined by her lawyer Lynn Ellenberger as she spoke to KENS 5.

“The bullying, the assaults, the sexual harassment… this is too much,” Villegas said.

Villegas works as a repairman in the city of San Antonio. She says the problems began after she was transferred to the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in March 2021.

“The guards spoke down to me,” she said. “I felt it was mostly women. They would say:go do it,’ And, ‘Hurry! Hurry!I was uncomfortable, but I endured because I needed a job. Work was my daily bread.”

On August 13, 2021, Villegas says she was walking down the hallway with two bosses when a third left his office.

“We walked past his office and he walked out,” Villegas said. “He said, — Where are you all going? The guards next to me said: “Oh, we’re going to do the task you told us.” I turn around. Me and the other warden are walking forward when he comes up behind me and pulls my hair. I just see the ceiling and hear the click on the neck. I keep walking, but he took me back to another world.”

Villegas says she has experienced domestic violence.

After the incident, according to Villegas, she rose through the ranks and informed her superior, who pulled her hair. She says that the incident was caught on surveillance camera, but claims that her complaints were not taken seriously, so she contacted the police.

Court documents show that the warden was charged with causing bodily harm. A judge has issued a contact ban to Villegas, and the case is due to go to court on March 28. However, Villegas says that the warden is still working at the convention center.

Just two months later, she said, there was another incident with another executive.

“He said, “You need to go to the office”Villegas said. “As soon as I entered, he turned and pushed me towards the table. He groped me, kissed me and wrapped his arms around me.”

She showed us the Facebook messages her boss reportedly sent her after the incident, saying that he was “horny” and that he wanted to have a sexual relationship with her.

“My stomach hurts when I go to work because I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Villegas said. “It did a lot of damage. It was bad.”

Villegas says she is now suffering from depression.

A few months ago, Ellenberger filed a complaint with the Texas Labor Commission on Villegas’ behalf. Ellenberger also introduces a former repairman who detailed a similar treatment.

“My clients are very brave and courageous, they are moving forward,” said Ellenberger of FeganScott LLC. “The city of San Antonio is a major employer. These women have to go to work every day and have to deal with this constant barrage of abuse, harassment, touching and very threatening behavior. The city knows about it. These women are not the first to come forward and [the city] didn’t do any research. As you heard from Maria, they didn’t make these harassers quit their jobs. The city needs to make this workplace safe for the women who work at the convention center.”

Ellenberger recently received a right to sue letter from the Texas Labor Commission. She plans to file a lawsuit within the next 45 days.

KENS 5 has repeatedly reached out to the city of San Antonio for comment. A spokesman said that, in accordance with federal law, the city cannot comment on possible allegations by the Human Resources Commission until a lawsuit is filed and the information is made public.

However, the City Attorney’s Office provided the following statement:

“The City of San Antonio is working to provide a safe, discrimination- and harassment-free work environment for all City employees. We are investigating allegations of misconduct and based on the results, we are taking appropriate action.”

Ellenberger encourages other city repairmen who have been harassed to come forward.

“My message to people who are watching this story is: Don’t give up,” Villegas said. “Justice will prevail.”