A California state senator, Marie Alvarado-Gil, is facing serious allegations of sexual harassment by her former chief of staff, Chad Condit. Condit claims that Alvarado-Gil pressured him into performing sexual acts, causing him injury, and subsequently fired him when he resisted, Sky News reported.
In a lawsuit filed last week in Sacramento Superior Court, Condit accuses both Alvarado-Gil and the California State Senate of violating employment law through discrimination. The 39-page complaint, which has been reviewed by Sky News, details Condit’s allegations that Alvarado-Gil groomed him during his employment, demanding sexual favors and ultimately causing him significant physical harm.
Condit asserts that during one instance, he was pressured to engage in a sexual act with Alvarado-Gil in the back of a car, resulting in severe injuries including three herniated discs and a collapsed hip, which required surgical intervention.
Ognian Gavrilov, representing Alvarado-Gil, dismissed the allegations as unfounded, stating, “This is an outlandish lawsuit and we’re going to fight it and we’re going to win it.”
According to the complaint, Condit met Alvarado-Gil in 2022 after his failed bid for the California assembly. Following her election as state senator, she hired Condit as her chief of staff. Condit alleges that Alvarado-Gil began to manipulate him by sharing intimate details about her personal life and making inappropriate comments.
The lawsuit further claims that Alvarado-Gil began to exert control over Condit by involving him in personal errands and creating a dominant-submissive dynamic. This alleged behavior intensified during a trip to Inyo County, where Condit claims Alvarado-Gil initiated unwanted sexual advances.
When Condit began resisting these advances, he alleges that Alvarado-Gil retaliated by having him reprimanded by the Senate’s human resources department and making personal accusations against him at his home. He also claims that Vanessa Bravo, Alvarado-Gil’s current chief of staff, was complicit in the harassment and retaliation.
Condit is seeking damages for lost wages, lost earning capacity, employee benefits, and emotional distress, citing that his employment record and future career opportunities have been irreparably damaged.
