NEWS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 15, 2002

CITY OF OAKLAND SETTLES SEXUAL ASSAULT CASE

Oakland, CA-City Attorney John Russo announced that in executive session today the Oakland City Council approved a $350,000 settlement of a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by Oakland police officers.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Ms. Rory Keller-Dean, claims that she was sexually assaulted by four uniformed police officers and thereafter was coerced into having sex regularly with one of the officers, Gary Romero, over a two-year period. She also alleges that he coerced her to act as an informant regarding drug activities, and that on a number of occasions over a two-year period he forced her to engage in sexual encounters in his police vehicle, in her home when her daughter was present, and elsewhere.

She says that she was afraid to ignore the officer's requests because of threats to have her then-10-year-old daughter taken away and threats to arrest her and her boyfriend. Ms. Keller-Dean had been arrested for prostitution at or around the time these incidents began, and her boyfriend was a parolee. She said she was initially reluctant to report the officer because she feared that no one would believe her, given her history as a prostitute.

Romero admitted to having a sexual relationship with Ms. Keller-Dean, but claims it was consensual and off-duty. He was terminated by the Oakland Police Department.