Returning to the dais for the first time since he was found liable for sexually harassing two city employees, Montclair City Councilmember Ben Lopez listened as speakers repeatedly told him to resign his seat Monday, Dec. 15. “Ben Lopez must resign,” resident Henry Fung wrote in a statement rea d to the council during the public comment portion of the meeting Monday. “He is a poor representative of the city and it’s 37,000 residents and he needs to go now.” At hearings in Rancho Cucamonga on Dec. 5 and 12, a Superior Court judge ordered Lopez to pay $1.53 million to the two employees who sued him for sexual harassment, along with the city of Montclair. Montclair City Council Member Ben Lopez is a defendant in two lawsuits filed by city employees against him and the city of Montclair. The suits allege sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances that created a hostile work environment. A city investigation corroborated the allegations. (File photo courtesy of Ben Lopez) Lopez’s entire pay as a Montclair council member over eight years — or about $176,000 — will be paid out as punitive damages to Michael Fuentes, the city’s director of economic development, and Edmund Garcia, a senior information technology specialist with the city. Lopez also has to pay each man $400,000 in compensatory damages, plus another $550,000 to the city of Montclair for its legal costs. Lopez told the court on Friday, Dec. 12, that the City Council position was his only consistent source of income. Fuentes and Garcia sued Lopez and the city in December 2021 after the pair complained to upper management earlier in the year that they’d been harassed by the councilmember. In his Dec. 5 ruling, Mathewson awarded each of the plaintiffs $400,000. The city settled with the pair for $550,000 in 2023 and then sued Lopez to recover its costs. According to Garcia’s lawsuit, Lopez, who was elected in November 2020, asked him out to dinner, asked him about his sexual preferences and repeatedly asked him to have sex. Lopez’s sexual advances toward Garcia were unwanted and caused him emotional distress, affecting his ability to perform his job, according to the suit. “The first thing he does,” after being elected, “he sexually harasses an employee,” resident Bruce Culp said at Monday’s council meeting before telling Lopez to step down. “You need to man up and resign.” In his lawsuit, Fuentes said Lopez’s sexual advances toward him “were at all times unwanted” and included “come-ons in the form of unwanted email messages of a sexual nature.” The lawsuit also alleged Lopez retaliated against Fuentes for rejecting his sexual advances. In June 2021, Lopez opposed Fuentes’ promotion to the position of director of economic development. “It was despicable to see a leader in our community show absolutely no remorse for the pain he caused,” Alice Garcia, mother of Edmund Garcia, tearfully told the council Monday evening. “This wasn’t a mistake: It was willful and cruel,” she said. “He was asked repeatedly if he was sorry and he refused. … Please do the right thing for Montclair: Resign.” Related Articles $1 billion price tag dooms underground shuttle to Ontario airport Riverside rewards app aims to support local businesses during the holidays Judge orders Montclair councilmember to pay $176,000 more in sexual harassment case Plan to add 28,000 residents to Hemet will be studied by panel More than 3,000 homes could be coming to eastern Moreno Valley But Lopez maintained his innocence at Monday’s meeting and gave no indication that he intends to resign. “This has been an ordeal for everyone involved,” he said. “I have maintained my innocence in respect to the accusations. … I don’t think the city should have dragged into this proceeding at all.” Mayor John Dutrey noted that Lopez could resign to save the city further embarrassment. “But that is unlikely,” Dutrey said. Mayor Pro Tem Corysa Martinez expressed her support for the Garcia family. “I am right there with you,” she said. “I promise you, you have support.” The council is limited in what it can do to Lopez under state law. Council members voted to censure Lopez in April 2022 and removed him from his committee appointments. His access to Montclair City Hall has also been restricted, with Lopez able to access only the council chambers and other areas open to the general public. But removing Lopez from office is up to the voters, either in a recall election or in the 2028 election, when Lopez’s second four-year term on the council ends. “I cannot control what people think of me,” Lopez told meeting attendees. “To anyone who feels I have harmed them, hurt them, et cetera, actual or perceived, my apologies.” View this document on Scribd View this document on Scribd More on the Ben Lopez sexual harassment lawsuits Two Montclair employees sue Council Member Ben Lopez for sexual harassment Montclair council censures Ben Lopez following sexual harassment claims Montclair council removes Ben Lopez from committees following censure Montclair’s legal fees top $700,000 in sexual harassment suit against councilmember Montclair suing councilmember at center of $700,000 sexual harassment lawsuit Judge rules Montclair councilmember owes $1.35 million in sexual harassment suit Montclair ‘satisfied’ with judge’s ruling in sexual harassment case, city manager says Judge orders Montclair councilmember to pay $176,000 more in sexual harassment case ...read more read less