Dunwoody City Council approves settlement over former police officer's sexual harassment allegations

DUNWOODY, Georgia. – A settlement is being sought for a former Dunwoody police officer who claims the city's police force retaliated against him for exposing sexual harassment by his supervisor.

On Monday, the Dunwoody City Council approved an agreement to settle the dispute by a vote of 6 to 1.

The vote came after the Atlanta County Equal Employment Opportunity Commission acknowledged that Brian Castellanos' lawsuit against his former employer had merit.

According to the letter, obtained by Rough Draft Atlanta, the agency said Dunwoody police retaliated against the former officer after he filed his complaint “by including evidence he provided to support his harassment allegations in an investigative report that was released to the public.”

“The record supports the finding that publishing the evidence without balancing the need for redaction and/or privacy protections would deter a reasonable person from engaging in protected activities,” the letter said.

In June, a DeKalb County jury awarded Castellanos $180,000 in a civil case against former Lt. Fidel Espinoza. The city of Dunwoody and its police department were initially named but were removed from the case.

In his complaint, Castellanos alleged, among other things, that Espinoza sexually harassed him by taking photographs of him using a urinal without his consent and demanding sexual favors and intimate photographs in exchange for more free time.

The lawsuit also alleged that Espinoza sent harassing messages to Castellanos' wife.

Espinoza, then one of the faces of the police force, resigned from the force in 2020 after being investigated for sexual harassment and professional misconduct. In the report that led to the lieutenant's firing, the EEOC found that evidence had not been adequately redacted.

Dunwoody officials did not comment on damages, but sources said a settlement is underway.