An administrative employee of the Los Angeles Animal Services department has filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against the city and the department’s director of volunteer programs.

The clerk alleged in a complaint filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in August that he faced severe sexual harassment and predatory attacks at work from Juan Rivera.

Rivera, who oversees the department’s volunteer programs, was placed on leave earlier this year. The department did not want to give a reason for his absence at the time.

The 20-page complaint alleges the clerk was sexually assaulted by Rivera “multiple times”

to work on January 17. Rivera also made crude sexual comments, grabbed the clerk’s genitals and exposed himself to the clerk, the complaint said.

The Times generally does not name victims of sexual violence.

The clerk started at Animal Services in December 2022 and was referred to the job by Rivera, according to the complaint. He was a “subordinate” of Rivera in the department, the complaint said.

Rivera did not respond to several requests for comment. It was not clear whether Rivera had an attorney.

A representative of City Atty. Hydee Feldstein Soto declined comment.

Department of Animal Services spokesperson Agnes Sibal confirmed that Rivera holds the position of director of volunteer programs but is on leave. She did not respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit.

According to the city office, Rivera has not had any interruption in his salary payments this year. He has received $51,132.61 through 2023, according to the department.

The clerk filed an initial complaint about Rivera with the city’s human resources department earlier this year, the clerk, Andrew, said.

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The Times has reviewed a letter sent last week by the city’s human resources department to the clerk about his case. The letter stated that the allegations had been “substantiated” by the ministry. An earlier letter sent to the clerk in August, also seen by The Times, said the allegations were “inconclusive.”

A representative of the city’s human resources department declined to comment on the two letters.

Rivera was criticized last year after telling employees at a meeting that he is afraid of big dogs, but that small dogs can be controlled because he can hit them. He later apologized and said he did not interact with the dogs.

Rivera oversees the Animal Shelter’s volunteers, who play a crucial role in running the city’s six public animal shelters. The volunteers walk dogs, clean kennels, feed small mammals, do administrative work and more.

The department is facing an overcrowding crisis and a shortage of staff, Staycee Dains, general manager of Animal Services, told a City Council committee this week.

Through August, dog euthanasia rates are up 22% over last year, while cat euthanasia rates are up 29%. According to the department, the number of kitten euthanasia has increased by 53%.