Two months after the Gilroy Unified School District launched a “serious” sexual harassment investigation centered around the Christopher High School cafeteria male manager, who allegedly made vulgar sexual advances on his female subordinates, the alleged perpetrator remains at work while his supervisor has quietly “retired.”
“I don’t know why he’s still there,” a female cafeteria employee said, under the condition of anonymity. “It’s just too weird.”
On March 29, the Dispatch received a letter from someone claiming to be a relative of a female employee of the CHS cafeteria. The letter describes crude passes that 50-something cafeteria manager Ruben Diaz has targeted at his employees for at least two years. The letter was also copied and sent to GUSD Superintendent Debbie Flores, all GUSD Board of Education trustees and members of City Council.
Flores said the investigation has been completed but that she could not reveal its findings, citing it as a “personnel matter.”
The employees of the CHS cafeteria also have not heard a word from the district about the outcome of the investigation, the female employee said. Meanwhile, Diaz continues to manage the cafeteria, with a stoic new persona according to the anonymous employee.
Pat Carrejo, Diaz’ supervisor who allegedly covered for him on multiple occasions when employees complained about his behavior in the past, gave an unexpected two weeks notice last week.
“She’s retiring. She didn’t say why,” she said.
Carrejo was reached by phone on Monday morning, but declined to comment for the story.
“There is a lot I want to say. A lot. But I can’t, they told us not to. My hands are tied,” she said. “But I am not a rude person.”
Flores told the Dispatch last month that the district held at least 15 one-on-one interviews with current and former employees of the CHS cafeteria. She would not comment on the specifics of the interviews.
Diaz’ lewd behavior came to a halt after the investigation began, but the female employee still feels betrayed by GUSD for not communicating with her about whether they planned to fire or discipline Diaz for his actions.
“I didn’t hold back. I reported everything he’s done. I figured this was my only shot,” she said. “I just can’t believe they are keeping him around.”
The March 29 letter outlined several of the inappropriate comments Diaz allegedly makes toward his female subordinates.
“(Diaz) told an employee in reference to another employee that he has dreams about her having her breasts in his mouth. After that he makes the comment that he needed to go to the bathroom because he is ‘leaking,’” the seven-paragraph letter read.
The letter also includes claims that told another female employee to “put a pair of your dirty panties over your head and give that to your husband for his birthday” and makes sexual references when he pumps ketchup from a dispenser.
