A former Imperial County official has accused Supervisor Jesus Eduardo Escobar of sexually harassing her over the course of several years.
Blanca Acosta, the former clerk of the Board of Supervisors, made the claims in a lawsuit against Escobar and the county. She filed the suit late last month in Imperial County Superior Court.
Acosta claims Escobar made unwanted sexual comments and touched her head, face and neck without permission. On one occasion, according to Acosta’s complaint, Escobar allegedly kissed her without warning in his office.
Acosta alleges county officials knew Escobar had harassed and physically touched her but failed to prevent the behavior. Instead, she claims they retaliated against her by placing her on administrative leave and eventually firing her earlier this year.
Escobar did not respond to a request for comment.
Imperial County Chairman John Hawk told KPBS that the county would take immediate steps in light of the lawsuit, including mandatory sexual harassment prevention trainings for staff and elected officials.
“Whether we were aware of it or not, we want to stop at this point and say, ‘Listen, it’s wrong,” he said in an interview Wednesday. “Sexual harassment has no place in our county.”
In a statement, the county said it would also establish a confidential hotline for reporting misconduct and would consider implementing an online anonymous reporting system.
Hawk said he could not comment on the details of the lawsuit and did not say if the county knew about the harassment allegations before Acosta filed her lawsuit. He also did not say whether Escobar would face any disciplinary action.
County spokesperson Eddie Lopez did not respond to questions Thursday regarding whether county employees were previously required to undergo sexual harassment prevention training.
The allegations
Acosta served as clerk of the Board of Supervisors since 2014.
In court filings, she said Escobar’s alleged harassment began in 2022, when he was appointed chairman of the board.
Escobar represents District 1, which includes the southern strip of the county below Interstate 8 reaching eastward from Calexico to Winterhaven.
After Escobar was appointed chairman, according to the lawsuit, the two started working together regularly. Acosta alleges Escobar started making comments about her body and how she was dressed. She also claims he would ask personal questions about her relationship with her husband and her sex life.
In one alleged incident in mid-2022, Acosta said in court filings, Escobar called her into his office, closed the door and kissed her while pushing her forcefully against the wall. Acosta said she felt “trapped and unable to move.”
In another alleged incident earlier this year, Acosta said Escobar entered her office and closed the door behind him, ignoring her request to keep it open. Acosta claims he hugged her and kissed her on the head.
Acosta “began to shake” and again “felt trapped,” according to the lawsuit.
Reporting harassment
At the end of his one-year term as chairman, Escobar stepped down from the role but continued to serve as District 1 supervisor.
Acosta alleges he continued to call her and make comments about her appearance. At one point in early 2023, according to her complaint, Escobar called her into his office and implied that he had influence over whether she would receive a raise.
In late 2023, Acosta said in her lawsuit, she contacted the county’s then-chief executive officer, Miguel Figueroa, and the director of human resources, Rodolfo Aguayo. She described Escobar’s alleged behavior but did not file a formal sexual harassment claim because she feared she would lose her job.
Acosta alleges Figueroa and Aguayo brought her complaints to Supervisor Luis Plancarte, who took over as county chairman in 2024. She claims Figueroa and Aguayo told Escobar to stop coming into Acosta’s office and issued other warnings about his behavior.
This past March, Aguayo asked the Board of Supervisors to update the county’s policy on sexual harassment and discrimination, as well as its procedures for filing complaints. The original version of the policy was approved in 1998.
The Board delayed voting on the proposal until a later date.
Supervisors fire Acosta
That same month, the Board of Supervisors placed Acosta and Figueroa on administrative leave. In April, the board fired both of them.
The Imperial Valley Press reported that the board also placed Aguayo on administrative leave in April.
Lopez, the county spokesperson, declined to provide a reason for the firings or answer questions from KPBS at the time. He did not respond to questions about Aguayo’s employment status.
In her lawsuit, Acosta claims she was never disciplined or criticized during her 10 years working for the county. Instead, she said, she received annual merit-based raises that increased her salary from $63,000 in 2014 to $134,000 in 2025.
Acosta alleges the board suspended and fired her because she complained about Escobar’s behavior.
Leading up to the lawsuit, Acosta also filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department alleging sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation.
