Valley Water CEO Rick Callender is lawyering up as the region’s largest water supplier investigates a misconduct complaint against him — and he’s filing his own claims of a hostile work environment.
Lori Costanzo, an attorney representing Callender, is demanding Valley Water hand over Callender’s personnel file, including all records of background checks and investigations, according to a letter sent to the agency on Friday and obtained by San José Spotlight. Her request asks for “all existing complaints or accusations against my client” and indicates the agency’s first Black executive plans to file legal claims against Valley Water over charges of workplace retaliation and discrimination.
San José Spotlight previously confirmed the agency is independently investigating an employee’s complaint against Callender, though the nature of the allegations and when the complaint was filed are unclear. Callender is on leave and is expected to return in April. He said his leave isn’t related to the complaint.
“I am still not aware of the specific claims of any employee against myself. This does not have anything to do with that,” Callender told San José Spotlight, declining to elaborate on the letter from his attorney. “The letter will have to stand as it is and speak for itself.”
Valley Water spokesperson Matt Keller said the agency is aware of the letter.
“Because it raises legal issues, we can’t comment further on it,” Keller told San José Spotlight.
Callender went on “voluntary leave” Dec. 14, four days after Salam Baqleh, a labor union leader representing most of the agency’s 850 employees, publicly demanded an unnamed executive be placed on administrative leave after a lower employee named the boss in a formal misconduct complaint. The union cited fears of retaliation against the employee due to the unnamed leader’s stature and power over the agency.
Baqleh has declined to confirm if Callender is the unnamed executive in question, and declined to comment on the legal demands of Callender’s attorney.
Callender is a leader of the NAACP’s California-Hawaii chapter. He became Valley Water CEO in May 2020.
Three directors of the agency’s board voted against Callender’s appointment five years ago, citing allegations of sexual harassment he faced in 2008. Employee Jessica Collins sued the agency and Callender in 2009, accusing him of making unwanted advances. The case was dropped, but Collins claimed an investigation into her complaint recommended Callender be terminated, according to the lawsuit.
The contention over Callender’s hiring outraged the NAACP San Jose/Silicon Valley chapter, which accused board members of racism and demanded an investigation into them.
Contact Brandon Pho at [email protected] or @brandonphooo on X.
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