By admin 
A former Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office deputy is suing the Sheriff’s Office, the city of Elk Grove and Elk Grove Police Chief Robert Davis, alleging she was wrongfully fired after reporting that Davis sexually harassed and threatened her.
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Plaintiff Vanessa Vaden, a Sacramento County resident, said in the lawsuit she joined the Sheriff’s Office in 2001. Shortly after being promoted to sergeant, she became a subordinate of Davis, who was the captain of internal affairs at the time, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit alleges Davis repeatedly sent Vaden unwanted sexually explicit texts, photos and videos, including nude photos of himself, often during business hours and while inside the Sheriff’s Office.
Davis also told Vaden he had multiple extramarital affairs with subordinates during his career at the Sheriff’s Office and bragged about his close relationship with Sheriff Jim Cooper, according to the lawsuit.
Davis and Vaden then entered into a relationship, which the lawsuit alleges occurred under “coercive circumstances” and involved an “abuse of power” because Vaden feared rejecting him or reporting him would jeopardize her career.
Davis retired from the Sheriff’s Office in 2020 and joined the Elk Grove Police Department as assistant chief before becoming police chief in 2022, where the lawsuit alleges he continued “a pattern of inappropriate conduct toward subordinates.”
The lawsuit alleges that in December 2023, Vaden discovered Davis was in a relationship with a female subordinate at the Elk Grove Police Department. When Vaden tried to end her relationship with Davis, he “panicked” that she was going to report the relationships, the lawsuit alleges.
In April 2025, Vaden allegedly received an anonymous letter at her home bearing the Elk Grove Police Department’s return address that discussed Davis’ relationship with the subordinate.
The next day, Vaden showed the letter to Davis and ended their relationship in his office at the Elk Grove Police Department, according to the lawsuit. Vaden removed a photograph of the two of them from his office, placing it on the desk of the subordinate with whom the lawsuit alleges Davis was involved. The lawsuit states Vaden placed the photograph there “to signal that her relationship with Davis was over.”
The lawsuit alleges Vaden then received what she perceived to be threats from Davis asking her to remain silent about his relationships.
In June 2025, Vaden allegedly received a second anonymous letter at her home, prompting her to report the situation to the City of Elk Grove’s Human Resources Department.
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The lawsuit alleges that the city “failed to adequately investigate” Davis’ alleged “retaliatory communications” or protect Vaden from retaliation.
“The city of Elk Grove bears responsibility for its role in enabling this retaliation by failing to protect Plaintiff,” the lawsuit states.
The lawsuit alleges Davis then embarked on a “smear campaign” against Vaden, including alleging she wrote the anonymous letters to herself and telling others, “All I have to do is make one call to the Sheriff and she’s done.”
After Vaden reported the situation to the city, the Sheriff’s Office opened an internal affairs investigation into Vaden for allegedly harassing the subordinate on whose desk she placed the photograph and for unprofessional conduct, the lawsuit states. Vaden then reported to the Sheriff’s Office that she believed the investigation was retaliatory and that Davis was threatening her.
Despite that, the lawsuit alleges the Sheriff’s Office took no action on Vaden’s claims and subjected her to “humiliating treatment” during the investigation.
The lawsuit alleges Vaden was served with a proposed termination and placed on administrative leave Dec. 29. The lawsuit states she challenged the discipline but was ultimately terminated Feb. 18.
The lawsuit lists nine causes of action, including sexual harassment creating a hostile work environment, quid pro quo sexual harassment, retaliation for protected activity, whistleblower retaliation, wrongful termination, failure to prevent harassment and retaliation, failure to investigate harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and violation of civil rights.
“The city of Elk Grove supports and has full confidence in our police chief and Police Department,” a statement provided to The Sacramento Bee from an Elk Grove spokesperson read. “The city also takes claims of personnel harassment and discrimination seriously. In that vein, the city previously commissioned a third-party independent investigator to investigate the claims of Ms. Vaden against city personnel. That investigation concluded that the claims of Ms. Vaden were either not sustained or unfounded.”
Representatives for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vaden is seeking unspecified damages and reinstatement to her former position, or front pay in lieu of reinstatement, as well as a jury trial. An initial case management conference is scheduled for May 2027.
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