Lawsuit alleges Oakdale council member exposed himself to colleague
The Modesto Bee does not name those who were possibly victims of sexual abuse.
A lawsuit alleges that Oakdale City Councilmember Jarod Pitassi exposed his genitals to a colleague, propositioned her for sex and made several explicit comments to her during his political campaign last year.
The lawsuit, filed in October 2024, alleges that Pitassi sexually harassed the female colleague for months while he was contracted to work for Conagra Brands, a Chicago-based company that produces canned goods in Stanislaus County. Pitassi denies all of the allegations against him.
Pitassi ran for Oakdale City Council throughout 2024 and was elected in November — tallying the most votes out of four candidates running for two open seats. The allegations were made public before Election Day.
“Honestly it saddens me to see that someone and more so others that don’t know me take FALSE allegations as fact,” Pitassi wrote in an October 2024 Facebook post denying the allegations. “This matter will all be handled in due time, thank you to the people that reached out and can see the big picture of what (truly) is going on here.”
Pitassi told The Bee he believes renewed interest in the lawsuit began on social media after his colleague, former Councilmember Christopher Smith, resigned last month following backlash over a repost about Charlie Kirk’s death.
The council member added that people knew about the allegations when he was running for office and that renewed interest in it has affected his personal life. Pitasi said he believes most people don’t know the full story.
“It’s very unfortunate. It’s very hurtful to my wife, my kids have been questioned at school about it from adults. … I didn’t say anything, I didn’t do anything,” said Pitassi.
Attorneys representing the woman who filed the lawsuit could not be reached for comment. However, the woman did write a statement, included in court documents, that said the alleged harassment and retaliation had impacted her personal and professional life.
“I have had sleepless nights, panic attacks, and breakdowns due to the overwhelming stress and anxiety this has caused. I no longer feel like myself,” the statement reads. “The confidence I once had in my career has been replaced with self-doubt, fear and emotional distress.”
What are the allegations?
The lawsuit alleges the woman, hired by Conagra as an engineer, was subjected to sexually explicit comments and acts, retaliation and unpaid wages as an employee for the company.
In July 2024, the complaint alleges, Pitassi was driving the woman back to Conagra’s offices in Oakdale after purchasing office supplies from a nearby store. Pitassi allegedly pulled the car over on a country road, exposed his genitals and asked the woman to perform sexual acts. She declined, at which point Pitassi closed his pants and drove back to work.
About two months later, the woman reportedly asked Pitassi about his campaign for City Council and jokingly asked if he was running for president. Pitassi allegedly grabbed his genitals and responded “Yes, I’m going to need a secretary. Do you want to be my Monica Lewinsky?”
The suit alleges that in the following months, Pitassi often talked about his sex life and asked about the woman’s. He apparently called her a “homewrecker” as he allegedly propositioned her for sex. The suit also alleges Pitassi would touch her legs and thighs without consent.
Restraining orders
Court documents and police reports show Pitassi was involved in an altercation with the woman and her boyfriend, Ian Sanders, in September 2024 at a charity golf tournament in Manteca.The fight began when Sanders confronted Pitassi about his alleged comment to the woman about being his “Monica Lewinsky,” according to statements by Sanders and the woman collected by the Oakdale Police Department. Documents show that Pitassi told police he was once married to Sanders’ sister.
The statements from everyone involved are conflicting. Pitassi said Sanders struck first, while Sanders told police Pitassi launched the first blow. All three involved, and witnesses, told police the woman attempted to pull Pitassi off Sanders.
Shortly after the fight, OPD was called to Pitassi’s residence because his wife had reported that the woman and Sanders were at her front door. Police reports state the woman was trying to contact Pitassi’s wife to tell her about the alleged sexual harassment
Sanders and the woman eventually left. However, Pitassi told police he intended to press charges against them for trespassing and assault.
Police eventually pulled over the couple. The result of this encounter was Sanders being arrested on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence, assault and trespassing. The woman was cited on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing.
A court search turned up no records indicating these charges were filed. A document obtained by The Bee shows the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Office did file charges against Sanders and the woman for misdemeanor trespassing. However, this document was not found in the court’s system — indicating the charges were dropped or the case is under seal.
Sanders and the woman filed restraining orders against Pitassi, who did the same against the couple. These restraining orders were all thrown out by the court.
The woman’s attorneys allege that Patassi filed a false police report and used his connections with the Oakdale Police Department to bring “meritless charges” against her. Pitassi was endorsed by the Oakdale Police Officers Association in October 2024.
Allegations against Conagra
The woman did not report Pitassi’s alleged sexual harassment to Conagra’s human resources department out of fear of retaliation, which was caused by a previous experience, according to court documents.
Before the alleged encounters with Pitassi, the woman had made an HR complaint against her manager, Herbert Robinson, alleging he made sexually and racially charged comments to her.
HR responded to the complaints by reportedly holding a meeting with the woman and Robinson, who were instructed to “get along,” according to court documents. Conagra reportedly then relocated her office to be next to Robinson’s.
Court documents say several sources confirmed Robinson planned to terminate or suspend the woman for reporting him. The lawsuit alleges that the woman was ignored by him and that he treated her in a “hostile manner” after her HR complaint.
In October 2024, the woman was written up for violating the company’s gift and entertainment policy. After she refused to sign the written warning, she was suspended, according to the complaint.
The woman’s attorneys allege her personnel file at Conagra’s HR department included a copy of her written warning but no documentation of her complaint against Robinson.
Before filing the lawsuit, the woman filed a complaint to the California Civil Rights Department, which issued her a right to sue on the same day, according to documents obtained by The Bee.
This story was originally published October 2, 2025 at 11:25 AM.
