12/18/2025
12.17.2025 | 6:20 PM | SANTA ANA — A jury has awarded former Santa Ana Police Administrative Manager Rita Ramirez $2.9 million after finding the City of Santa Ana failed to protect her from retaliation and misconduct under former Police Chief David Valentin.
The unanimous verdict, delivered earlier this month, concluded that city officials did not adequately address or prevent the treatment Ramirez faced after she refused to align herself with one of two rival factions within the Santa Ana Police Department — one led by Valentin and the other by former police union president Gerry Serrano.
Ramirez filed the lawsuit in 2022, alleging Valentin unlawfully retaliated against her, pressured her to spy on her supervisor, and fostered a culture of discrimination against women that was tolerated by department leadership. She resigned from the department in the summer of 2022.
John Barber, one of Ramirez’s attorneys, said the verdict vindicates his client and he hopes it leads to meaningful reform.
“She hopes this will lead to a genuine commitment to gender equality and to investigating complaints in a way that seeks the truth and results in appropriate action and change,” Barber said in a Monday phone interview.
In a statement Tuesday, city spokesman Paul Eakins said the city acknowledges the verdict and will work with its insurance carriers and legal counsel to determine next steps.
“The City will work closely with its insurance carriers and outside special counsel team to determine the best course of action with a focus on both fiscal responsibility and fairness and justice,” Eakins wrote. “The City remains committed to a safe, healthy, and positive working environment for all of our City employees.”
The lawsuit detailed deep divisions within the police department, fueled by an ongoing power struggle between Valentin and Serrano, who later left the city amid allegations he attempted to improperly boost his pension. During that dispute, Serrano filed lawsuits against Valentin and urged the district attorney to investigate the former chief.
According to the lawsuit, Ramirez was repeatedly pressured to choose between the rival camps. She alleged that then-Commander Jose Gonzalez and then-Commander Robert Rodriguez — now Santa Ana’s police chief — warned her she would be placed at the “bottom of the food chain” if she did not pick a side.
“These ‘camps’ had been the subject of much discussion throughout the department,” the lawsuit states, adding that Ramirez felt she was receiving a message from Valentin “via his more senior gang members.”
Ramirez said she refused, explaining she was a city employee and would not be forced into internal political battles. She alleged Valentin subsequently refused to meet with her.
The lawsuit also claims Valentin ordered Ramirez to spy on and photograph her then-supervisor, Deputy Chief Jim Schnabl, while Schnabl was on medical leave. Ramirez further alleged she faced retaliation for interacting with Valentin’s rivals, releasing public records, and refusing to participate in internal power struggles.
Ultimately, Ramirez said the retaliation, discrimination, and harassment forced her resignation — which the lawsuit characterized as an unlawful constructive termination in violation of California law, city policies, and her civil service rights.
City Council reaction to the verdict was mixed, though several members said it underscores longstanding problems within the police department.
Councilman Ben Vazquez said the department’s internal culture still needs serious reform.
“Just because Valentin’s gone and Gerry Serrano’s gone, that relationship isn’t healed yet,” Vazquez said in a Monday phone interview. “We’re far from it, and we can’t sweep it under the rug.”
Vazquez suggested increasing funding for police oversight to address systemic issues.
Councilman David Penaloza said complaints about Valentin’s leadership had circulated for years and that the verdict, while disappointing, was not surprising.
“There are many allegations laid out about David Valentin and the way he ran this department,” Penaloza said. “It’s upsetting.”
Penaloza, who received significant police union support during his 2022 campaign and is currently running for state Assembly, said he believes the department has improved under new leadership and that complaints have subsided.
Valentin, who now serves as president of the Santa Ana College Foundation, did not respond to requests for comment. The foundation also did not respond.
After publication, current Santa Ana police union president John Kachirisky said the union had previously raised concerns about the work environment under Valentin.
“Years ago, we raised concerns about the toxic work environment created under former Chief Valentin,” Kachirisky said in a statement. “Since his departure, we have seen significant improvements in our working relationship with the current chief and his leadership team.”
Councilman Johnathan Hernandez, a vocal critic of the police union and a candidate for state Assembly, apologized publicly to Ramirez.
“The highest-ranking civilian employee there was treated in ways that no employee should ever be treated,” Hernandez said. “For that, I want to apologize to Rita on behalf of the City of Santa Ana.”
Hernandez called the police department the city’s “biggest liability” and condemned officers who, he said, continue to expose the city to costly lawsuits. Hernandez has denied harassment complaints filed against him this summer by police officers, calling them attempts to silence him.
Mayor Valerie Amezcua and Councilmembers Phil Bacerra, Thai Viet Phan, and Jessie Lopez did not respond to requests for comment.
Ramirez’s attorneys said at least five additional lawsuits from police employees tied to Valentin’s tenure remain pending. Barber said the $2.9 million award could increase significantly due to attorney fees, costs, and the outcome of any appeal.
City officials have not yet discussed whether to appeal or pursue settlement options, Penaloza said.
The verdict comes amid years of controversy surrounding Santa Ana police leadership, accountability, and workplace culture — issues compounded by the police union’s heavy spending in local elections.
Valentin retired in 2023, the same year Serrano left the city. Former City Manager Kristine Ridge also departed that year after filing a claim alleging elected officials pressured her to increase Serrano’s pension. The city quietly settled that claim for more than $600,000.
Despite leadership changes, Vazquez said deeper cultural issues remain.
“I don’t believe culture changes just because the leader is changed,” he said. “As leaders, we have to have a real conversation — not a political one — about how we’re going to fix these issues.”
