San Mateo County to pay $8 million to settle sexual harassment suit filed by sheriff’s deputy

The former SWAT team member alleged she was assaulted by a leader during a gathering in October 2021.

REDWOOD CITY — San Mateo County has agreed to pay $8 million to settle a sexual harassment and discrimination lawsuit filed in November 2022 by a female sheriff’s deputy.

The settlement was announced Friday. It comes two months before the case was set to go to trial.

Carryn Barker, who served on the SWAT team, alleged she was sexually harassed and eventually sexually assaulted by a team leader, according to Franklin Law, the firm that represented her in the case.

“This lawsuit was a win for not only Carryn Barker, but also for the many other women who have endured sexual harassment and discrimination at the sheriff’s office,” Barker’s attorney, Zak Franklin, said in a news release.

In a statement, the sheriff’s office said it was aware of a settlement between the county and Barker “relating to incidents that occurred years ago under the previous sheriff.”

“Sheriff (Christina) Corpus is committed to improving the culture of the sheriff’s office by prioritizing accountability and implementing higher standards — setting the tone that misconduct will not be tolerated under her watch,” the sheriff’s office said.

The alleged sexual harassment and discrimination began shortly after Barker joined the SWAT team in 2018. The law firm said the team leader made frequent vulgar comments about Barker’s body, telling her and others that he wanted to have sex with her.

The team leader also inappropriately touched Barker and sexually assaulted her during a team gathering in October 2021, according to the firm.

An internal affairs investigation was launched in August 2022, but its aim was to punish the team leader for backing Corpus in her bid to replace then-sheriff Carlos Bolanos, not to protect Barker, the law firm said, adding that Barker was forced to participate.

When nothing was done, Barker took a leave of absence and ultimately resigned from the SWAT team in November 2022.

“I loved that team so much. They were my brothers. I worked so hard to be on that team and to form those relationships,” she said in the news release. “And because of one person’s actions and the county refusing to help me, that was all taken away from me.”

Barker said she did not want to file a suit.

“I just wanted the harassment to end,” she said. “I reported the harassment to multiple supervisors and co-workers, but nobody did anything to protect me until I hired Franklin Law and filed the lawsuit.”

After the suit became public, members of the SWAT team rallied to support Barker, according to the firm. One member even interrupted a leadership meeting and told the undersheriff the entire team would resign if the team leader was not put on a leave of absence.

The law firm said other women victimized by men at the sheriff’s office reached out to Barker and her attorneys to share their experiences and voice their support for the suit. Franklin described his client as the “tip of the spear.”

“She had the support of so many women and allies at the sheriff’s office and across the state,” he said.

The $8 million settlement is believed to be one of the largest for a single-plaintiff sexual harassment case in state history.

“Hopefully this will lead San Mateo County to clean up the sheriff’s office and to start protecting women from harassment and discrimination — and make them feel safe to report such illegal conduct when it happens,” Franklin said in the news release.

Staff writer Nollyanne Delacruz contributed to this report.