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A former San Mateo County sheriff’s deputy has filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Christina Corpus, alleging that she retaliated against him in connection with a political endorsement she did not receive.
In his suit, David Wozniak alleged that a few months after he got promoted to acting sergeant, he was demoted in retaliation for Corpus not getting the backing from a political action committee (PAC) he oversaw when she was running for sheriff in 2022.
Wozniak filed the suit on March 19 in San Mateo County Superior Court. The suit also named Corpus’ chief of staff, Victor Aenlle, as a defendant.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Gretchen Spiker dismissed the allegations in a statement emailed to this publication on Thursday, April 4.
“The San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office has not yet been served in any lawsuit by former employee David Wozniak,” Spiker said. “The Sheriff’s Office has received a copy of a complaint and, in light of this, will vigorously defend itself from these false claims.”
She added: “The Sheriff’s Office wants to emphasize that an acting position is a temporary, out-of-class assignment with no guarantee of a promotion. This sheriff has consistently demonstrated her commitment to fairness, and people who display strong leadership skills and a desire for professional growth are promoted.”
The Sheriff’s Office declined further comment, citing pending litigation.
Wozniak had worked for the Sheriff’s Office for 28 years in various capacities from correctional officer to acting sergeant, the suit said. For more than 15 years, he also served as president of the San Mateo County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, the union for local deputies and correctional officers.
At the time of the sheriff’s election that pitted Corpus against incumbent Carlos Bolanos, Wozniak organized a PAC – which had been in place for more than 10 years – as part of his union leadership role, according to the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the PAC sent questionnaires to Corpus and Bolanos to ascertain which candidate’s platform aligned with the union’s interests. As union president, Wozniak chose the questions.
While Bolanos answered the questions, the suit said, Corpus sent a written response to the PAC indicating that she would not participate.
“Corpus thought that the questions selected by the PAC were hostile and not relevant to the process because they had been selected by Mr. Wozniak,” the suit said.
Based on the information gathered and in accordance with union bylaws, the suit said, the PAC voted to back Bolanos. However, the union’s board decided to remain neutral throughout that election race and not explicitly support either candidate.
Corpus went on to win the election and was installed as the new sheriff in January 2023.
Aenlle – who became part of a team to help Corpus transition into office – “was vocal about his dislike of Mr. Wozniak to multiple employees within the Sheriff’s Office,” the suit said. Both he and Corpus saw Wozniak being union president as a “problem” and “headache” for the Sheriff’s Office.
Meanwhile, Wozniak was promoted from deputy to acting sergeant in August 2022, the suit said.
“Mr. Wozniak was successful in the role of acting sergeant and received a positive performance review from his supervisor,” the suit said. Just before leaving office, Bolanos also commended Wozniak’s work in his new position.
However, the suit said Wozniak received a letter from Corpus informing him that he would return to the designation of deputy in February 2023.
“From August 2022 through February 2023, there were no issues with Mr. Wozniak’s performance in the role of acting sergeant,” the suit said, “and by all appearances, he was headed towards a promotion to sergeant after completing his probationary period in the acting sergeant role. Based on information and belief, it is unprecedented for Mr. Wozniak to have been demoted back to the deputy sheriff role after being promoted to acting sergeant.”
Because of Corpus and Aenlle’s actions and behavior, the suit said, Wozniak also suffered discrimination, reputational harm, humiliation, lost wages and other damages.
He seeks a court order “retrospectively instating” him to a sergeant ranking, coverage of court costs and other relief, the suit said.
The suit is scheduled for a hearing on Aug. 19.
