NEWS FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 27, 2001

CITY OF OAKLAND SETTLES LAST ‘CLAYTON COLLINS’ SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE

Oakland, CA—On February 27, 2001, the Oakland City Council approved settlement of the Tonsa B. case, the last of three sexual harassment/sexual assault cases involving former Parks and Recreation employee Clayton Collins, for the sum of $750,000.

The plaintiff in this lawsuit, Tonsa B., alleges that when she was a fifteen-year old part-time City employee in the Parks and Recreation Department, Mr. Collins sexually assaulted her. The decision to settle this case out of court was a based on risk management principles; the City elected to settle to avoid the risk of greater financial exposure had this case gone to trial.

"This settlement closes a sad chapter in Oakland’s history involving former employee Clayton Collins," said City Attorney John Russo. "It is a tragedy for everyone involved—for the women who brought these cases forward, for the employees of the City of Oakland who have been affected by these allegations, for the taxpayers of Oakland who are footing the legal bill. One thing is clear: these types of lawsuits are expensive, yet avoidable. The City must employ effective risk management strategies to prevent such tragedies in the future."