Innocent?
By Gregg Wendorf
Advance News Journal
DONNA — Question for city governments: If you have a longtime employee who is considered by many of his peers to be one of the best police chiefs around, who has worked for state law enforcement and other agencies over a police career that has spanned three decades, and within months after a city election, a female city employee who’s known to be involved in local politics, claims that Donna Police Chief “Gil” Guerrero sexually harassed her approximately three months prior, before the last municipal election in November, do you: A) Investigate the matter before suspending him, or B) Suspend him first, which will put his name in the public eye in an unflattering way, and then investigate the allegation?
Common sense would suggest "A," but that’s not what happened last week in Donna, a city known for crazy politics over the years; and that’s saying a lot, considering this is the Rio Grande Valley where crazy politics is considered to be the norm in most, not all, cities and towns.
Guerrero’s suspension so close to last November’s city election: What a coincidence.
Also, Guerrero is from Donna, born and raised, still lives there, and the city is going to do this to him and his family before an internal HR investigation is even completed?
The loyalty, or lack thereof, boggles the mind, especially since most people who follow Donna gossip know that there is already a rumor floating around that suggests that a cop with the Donna PD, backed by the political machine, is poised to be chief, and the only one standing in his way to the top is … Guerrero.
Allegation … Election
The City of Donna had a municipal election last November, which brought in a new mayor, majority; and last week, a woman who works for the city, known to be tied to local politics big time, now claims that Guerrero sexually harassed her last fall, before the city election, and now the city suspends him, effectively putting the cart before the horse. At least this is the story floating around Donna this week.
On my own, talking to more than a few sources for background, it took me 10 minutes to get the story on this and judge Guerrero innocent of sexual harassment when I learned the circumstances surrounding the allegation. Then, I learn who the woman is who claims that Guerrero sexually harassed her, and I think, wow, Donna officials (some) can’t see through this?
Some people will say this is politically orchestrated, motivated, political payback of some sort for not supporting the right people, and now the onus will be on city government to prove that it’s not.
Ironically, I spoke to Guerrero two weeks ago about something unrelated to this matter. He must have been suspended at the time, but he didn’t let on, and it hadn’t yet been made public, or maybe he didn’t know it was coming.
When I found out about it, I texted him — hang in there, because from where I sit, the allegation is without merit.
Or words to that effect. As expected, Guerrero isn’t answering my calls or returning my texts. Don’t expect him to, given the circumstances. Just want him to know he’s got my support, until someone proves that my judgment of him is flawed, which I’m sure is not the case, since I’ve known the guy for so long.
Guerrero is a straight shooter from where I sit. Donna should be lucky to have him as its chief. Instead, they’re hanging him out to dry.
For now. The other thing about these sexual-harassment allegations, and I’m not saying some aren’t true, but in today’s world, if someone feels they’re being sexually harassed, go immediately to HR, and it will stop.
Don’t wait approximately three months after an election to make the allegation, because by then, some people are undoubtedly going to say, “This allegation looks kind of shady.”
The other thing is, if someone makes an allegation of sexual harassment, and it proves not to be true, shouldn’t there be some sort of penalty for throwing dirt at somebody? A lawsuit for defamation?
You tarnish a good man’s name, and you get to walk away unscathed, no harm, no foul?
If the alleged victim in a sexual harassment claim has texts, emails that support her claim of being a victim, then show them. Trouble is, as we found out in Pharr last year, sometimes these sexual-harassment claims are one sided, and the public only gets to see one side of the story.
What a deal. If there is nothing to back up an allegation of sexual harassment save the word of the alleged victim, what’s that worth? Talk is cheap, as the saying goes.
Anybody can make a claim about anyone, and that’s where we now stand?
Good luck, Gil.