www.montereycountynow.com DECEMBER 18-24, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 23 If it were not so serious, some of the allegations made by career cop Rosy Silva might work as laugh lines in a cringe comedy, emphasis on the cringe. Her description of enduring sexual harassment and retaliation in her 12 years working at the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office paints a picture of failure to stop problem behavior, and also a culture of gossip, backstabbing and retaliation. Silva’s lawsuit focuses on husband-wife team Mike Smith (a commander) and Rebecca Smith (a captain). In 2019 she worked alongside Mike as a detective, one of her many assignments in the Sheriff’s Office. The suit lists a litany of detailed remarks he allegedly made about her body—about her breasts, her nipples, her vagina, her shape during pregnancy— and a long list of colleagues who allegedly overheard parts of it. Some of them, Silva claims, advised Mike Smith along the way to stop. But the comments continued, and so did alleged retribution by his wife. “This was happening out in the open. It wasn’t in a closet or a hallway when no one was watching or listening,” Silva says in an interview. She kept her head down for years, afraid that filing complaints would come back to bite her. It was a culture she learned to endure from the minute she started in 2010. That was two sheriffs ago, under Scott Miller. Then came the Steve Bernal administration, then Tina Nieto, the first woman sheriff in Monterey County history, a milestone which Silva says she hoped might mark a turning point. Silva says it did not. She faced some petty punishments, like when she claims Rebecca Smith reassigned her from a large locker to a small locker that could not fit her rifle. Silva brought that issue to the top and met with Nieto. “I don’t want to hear any drama,” Nieto allegedly said. “I don’t care if someone doesn’t like you or if you don’t like someone.” In an ideal world, people could coexist in workplaces even if they don’t like each other—it’s certainly not a requirement. But they should be able to coexist with dignity and professionalism. Eventually, after she was denied promotions and opportunities for additional compensation, Silva (now working as a sergeant who supervises bailiffs) decided it was time to come forward. She sued the County of Monterey and Mike Smith and Rebecca Smith on Sept. 5. (Initial responses filed in court by attorneys representing the County, Mike Smith and Rebecca Smith all deny all of the allegations in the lawsuit.) She was identified as Jane Doe, but Silva claims that after she sued, the retribution got worse. She followed up with a subsequent claim against the County of Monterey filed on Dec. 8. There, she details “the old desk supplies incident”—a complaint about materials she left in the property crimes division in 2023—and a colleague who stopped speaking to her. There is the “office photo incident,” in which she claims she was deliberately left out of a team photo for a county newsletter. (Cringe comedy comes with at least a chuckle.) There was an alleged prohibition on Silva sharing intelligence with other law enforcement agencies without prior approval, despite her supervisory role over courthouse bailiffs, which Silva claims “is affecting public safety and operational security.” Corrections Chief Timothy Lanquist allegedly screamed at her in front of other sergeants and blamed an anonymous X account, “Deputy Dogg,” for sharing details of the case. (The anonymous account, which they describe to me in a message as “a collaboration,” posted Silva’s lawsuit.) Citing county policy on pending litigation, representatives of the Sheriff’s Office declined to speak about any details of the case. But Nieto spoke in general about the impact of anonymous social media accounts like Deputy Dogg. “There’s no guardrails or accountability,” she says. “It’s lies and rumors. I’m good to have conversation, debate, differences of opinion. My concern is that this is becoming normal for the next generation, they don’t debate and it just becomes name-calling.” (Deputy Dogg calls Tina Nieto “Tuna”—more playground insults.) It’s easy to post anonymous insults on social media. It should not be easy to demean and harass coworkers in any workplace, particularly among officers of the law, who are expected to set a high standard. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Law Abiding Sheriff’s Office continues to be a workplace of insults, a new lawsuit claims. By Sara Rubin BOWL UNBOUND…Squid has always appreciated the action, drama and glitz of the Super Bowl. Even a bad game is a good excuse for lounging in front of the TV devouring bowls of shrimp-flavored popcorn. So when Squid learned Super Bowl LX would be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on Feb. 8—beyond the range of Squid’s jalopy, but still temptingly close— Squid’s hearts fluttered. But Squid discovered that the NFL doles out a set of tickets to teams and sponsors. The rest go on the secondary market, where prices for a nosebleed seat start around $6,000. To remove Squidself from the hoi polloi to sit amongst the VIPs would set Squid back around $17,000, not including parking. Squid’s search for a deal led to Pebble Beach and The Inn at Spanish Bay, where tickets can be had starting at a mere $14,750—double occupancy, so $29,500. But Squid still considers this a bargain. After all, the amount covers tickets, four nights at Spanish Bay, tee times at Pebble Beach Golf Links or Spyglass Hill Golf Course, transportation to and from the game and more. Squid brings this up for any penny-pinching multi-millionaire looking for an affordable game package. As for Squid, unless demand for cephalopod columnists changes dramatically—and soon—Squid will be back in front of the TV with Squid’s favorite snack. LEAFED OUT…While Squid could live on shrimp-flavored popcorn, sometimes Squid needs a little fiber, so Squid supplements with leafy greens. That’s part of what inspired Squid to tune into a meeting with the federal government on Dec. 8 to hear about whether or not more money would be going to support leafy greens and specialty crops in Monterey County. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Undersecretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke J. Lindberg and Undersecretary for Farm Production and Conservation Richard Fordyce announced a $12 billion relief aid package, the Farmer Bridge Assistance Program, with one-time payments meant to help struggling farmers during a time when rising production costs, low crop prices and instability in federal partnerships are squeezing farmers nationwide. The program is intended to help hold farmers over until funding comes in from the One Big Beautiful Bill in 2026. Squid was champing at the salad to find out what it would mean for the Salad Bowl of the World, but it turns out…basically nothing. More than 92 percent of the payments will be directed toward commodities like corn, cotton, peanuts, rice and soybeans, leaving $1 billion for other crops. No timeline for those limited payments has yet been announced. Good thing Squid has a backup supply of kelp. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “I don’t want to hear any drama.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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