A group of California state lifeguards has filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Parks and Recreation, alleging they were secretly filmed while undressing in a locker room at Bolsa Chica State Beach. The suit, announced Thursday by attorney Gloria Allred, comes as former parks superintendent Kevin Pearsall faces criminal charges for the alleged voyeurism.
Pearsall, 59, of Long Beach, is accused of using hidden cameras to capture audio and video of workers over an 11-month period and sharing some of the recordings. He has been charged with five felony counts of eavesdropping, 23 misdemeanor counts of secretly filming another person, and three misdemeanor counts of unlawfully distributing private recordings.
Two alleged victims, Mathew Dawson and Richard Corey, spoke at a press conference to announce the lawsuit. Dawson, who has worked as a lifeguard since 2014, described the revelation as "like getting punched in the stomach" and "the ultimate betrayal of trust." The lawsuit names Dawson, Corey, Nichola Petkus, and a fourth unidentified person as plaintiffs. It alleges sexual harassment, discrimination, and failure to prevent harassment and discrimination, in violation of the state’s Fair Employment and Housing Act.
The lawsuit was filed in Orange County Superior Court. Pearsall was employed by the state as a superintendent in Huntington Beach, which oversees Bolsa Chica State Beach. Prosecutors stated last week that Pearsall is accused of taking and sharing intimate images of men.