An employee has sued the Irvine Ranch Water District and her boss, claiming she was harassed and discriminated against based on her race and gender.
Karen Bonecki, an analyst with the district, alleged in a court filing last week that she was forced to do menial and sexist tasks, such as cleaning her supervisor's desk, that were not required of white male employees. Bonecki is Asian American.
Bonecki's lawsuit, filed in Orange County Superior Court, accuses Patrick Sheilds, the district's executive director of operations, of repeatedly disrespecting her and treating her "like his own personal servant."
Sheilds and a spokesman for the district, which provides water to Irvine and portions of Newport Beach and Costa Mesa, declined to comment.