By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-20 17:23:52 | Updated at 2026-08-20 17:35:16
19 minutes ago
A California CEO told a colleague he liked it when a female subordinate entered his workspace because she 'jiggled as she walked,' a lawsuit claims.
Former Santa Clara Valley Water boss Enrico Callender allegedly made the remark about Jessica Collins, according to a complaint she filed against the company and Callender on Monday.
Collins, 49, alleges in the filing obtained by the Daily Mail that Callender, 56, made her working life hell after she rejected his advances and then thwarted her chances at promotion after she reported him.
It also details allegations about a false, office-wide rumor which was allegedly circulating about Callender being the secret father of Collins' child, which she claims her supervisors were already aware of before she reported it.
Callender has denied the claims and stated they are an attempt to smear his reputation.
Collins first reported Callender to the company for alleged sexual harassment in 2008, two years after she was first hired as a legal analyst.
Her lawsuit claims that she was told a number of her complaints were upheld by the company, including that Callender engaged in unwelcome sexual conduct, made intrusive inquiries into her personal life and insinuated he could advance her career if they worked closely together.
The lawsuit alleges that Callender also 'slandered' her by allegedly telling colleagues she had been able to purchase her home thanks to a settlement for her sexual harassment claims, 'and that she should thank Callender for that.'
Jessica Collins filed a lawsuit against her former CEO accusing him of retaliating against her after she reported him for alleged sexual harassment
Former Santa Clara Valley Water boss Enrico Callender has been accused of making a crass remark about the way a female subordinate 'jiggled as she walked' in a lawsuit accusing him of workplace retaliation. He denies the claims
The lawsuit states: 'After she rebuffed his advances, Callender became overly critical of Plaintiff’s work.'
Collins previously attempted to sue Santa Clara Valley Water in 2009 before the case was abandoned after she failed to show up to court.
In that lawsuit, she alleged that Callender kissed her on the mouth after a 2007 work dinner, before becoming overly critical of her work when she shut down the advances.
The filing also claimed Callender tried to invite her on various trips, only to pretend the messages were sent to the wrong person when Collins didn't reply.
He also allegedly paid unwelcome compliments about her outfits and pedicures, according to the dropped suit.
Callender was made CEO in 2020, more than a decade after an internal review allegedly found that he had sexually harassed Collins, according to her most recent complaint.
'Although Plaintiff was assured that Valley Water would take appropriate action, Callender was repeatedly promoted and appointed CEO,' the filing states.
The complaint claims that Callender then used his elevated position to block Collins from promotion after she applied to become assistant officer at the Office of Integrated Water Management in 2022.
Collins alleged in the lawsuit that she was denied a promotion after Callender was among the panel of interviewers during the final round of her application process. He has denied her claims
Callender tendered his resignation and stepped down from his role in March this year, a few months after an external review determined he had sexually harassed two other women. He disputes the finding of the investigation
Collins made it through two rounds of interviews only to falter at the third stage when Callender was on the panel after her performance score was 'manipulated,' the filing states.
Collins claims that when she complained, she was told that Callender would be retiring soon.
'The implication was that Plaintiff would have greater opportunity for advancement after his retirement,' the lawsuit states.
It also alleges that the CEO had previously texted another staffer expressing disbelief that Collins would try and apply for a promotion.
Collins claims she obtained messages from his assistant Velia Mariscal, which show Callender mocking her for applying.
'I heard Jessica asked about the position. Wtf,' the message allegedly from Callender reads, per the suit. 'She is lick [sic] damn. Could a been me.'
'If she hadn’t opened her mouth to talk shhhhzzzz,' Mariscal allegedly replied before Callender is said to have written back: 'U mean lie.'
Interim CEO Melanie Robertson has since taken over at Santa Clara Valley Water
Collins was first hired at the company in 2006 as a legal analyst and went on to rise through the ranks
Mariscal has since also accused Callender of sexual harassment and had her claims upheld by an external review conducted by an outside law firm which found that Callender had sexually harassed her and another colleague.
The report determined that Callender had sent inappropriate photos, pressured them into out-of-hours activities and 'engaged in severe or pervasive conduct that violated the District’s prohibition on sexual harassment.'
Callender rejected the findings as 'categorically false' and claimed they were the result of investigative bias and relied on racial stereotypes about black men.
Collins's lawsuit states that she reported Callender internally again in February last year, claiming he 'had used his influence to prevent her from obtaining a promotion and to block her advancement at Valley Water,' according to the lawsuit.
In March this year, Callender resigned from his $512,886-a-year role.
However, he was allegedly given a one-year contract extension in a special adviser role at the same salary and the company agreed to pay $65,000 in legal fees and 'defend and indemnify him from all claims arising from his employment.'
In an email to the Palo Alto Daily Post, Callender said: 'These allegations are categorically false, baseless and a reckless attempt to damage my reputation.
The company has since chosen Melanie Richardson as its interim CEO. It has not filed any response to Collins' lawsuit as yet.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Callender, Santa Clara Valley Water and Collins's attorney for comment.
