OCEANSIDE — A former employee of MainStreet Oceanside has filed a lawsuit against the nonprofit organization and its former chief executive officer, alleging sexual harassment, a hostile work environment and wrongful termination.
The lawsuit, filed on Dec. 4 in Vista Superior Court, claims ex-CEO Gumaro Escarcega created a “hostile” workplace by frequently humiliating and sexually harassing former employee Haley Riggi during her tenure.
Riggi’s lawsuit seeks damages for the alleged harassment and wrongful termination.
“What began as a promising and fulfilling outward-facing role quickly devolved into a daily nightmare of sexual harassment, crude remarks and emotional abuse,” the lawsuit states.
Riggi, who joined MainStreet Oceanside in August 2022 as a lead events coordinator before transitioning to sales and events coordinator, alleges Escarcega’s behavior included inappropriate comments, unwanted physical contact and public humiliation.
“In one particularly disturbing instance, during a meeting at a local fire station, he asked [Riggi] if ‘she was wet’ and whether ‘it’ was ‘running down her leg’ while leaning over to examine her genital area,” the lawsuit alleges.
Riggi also claims Escarcega made degrading remarks about her appearance, mocked her personal life, and encouraged other male employees to join in the harassment.
“This culture, driven by [Escarcega’s] example, allowed other male employees to humiliate and demean [Riggi] by attributing her professional performance to her personal life,” the lawsuit states.
The complaint alleges MainStreet Oceanside failed to address Riggi’s concerns despite her reports to human resources. It claims the organization “normalized” the toxic workplace environment by taking no corrective action.
“The negative, hostile and harassing culture that [Escarcega] cultivated was open and apparent to all who worked at [MainStreet Oceanside], yet no one in a position of authority took even the most basic steps to address the actions or assist the victims,” the lawsuit alleges.
The complaint also accuses Escarcega of inappropriate behavior toward other female employees, including one instance in which he allegedly dismissed safety concerns by telling a female employee to “stop being so cute.”
Escarcega, who became MainStreet Oceanside’s CEO in January following the retirement of founder Rick Wright, is no longer listed on the organization’s website. The group’s chief financial officer, Angie Leonard, has been named interim CEO.
Leonard declined to comment on the lawsuit but emphasized MainStreet’s commitment to maintaining a safe and respectful workplace.
“As has always been the case, we at MainStreet Oceanside take any complaint of harassment or discrimination seriously,” Leonard said in an email statement. “Such conduct in any form is not tolerated, and we strive to provide the best possible environment for our employees, partners, and those in the community.”
