EXCLUSIVE: San Mateo Co. detective opens up after winning $8M sexual harassment suit settlement
SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- Carryn Barker was the only female member of the San Mateo County Sheriff's SWAT team, and now, she's about to receive what could be a record settlement for a sexual harassment case -- $8 million. "I felt like I had to stand up for myself," Barker told the I-Team. "Like I had to do something to protect myself because nobody else was protecting me."
Carryn Barker is giving her first interview to the I-Team's Dan Noyes. Even though the county is paying that enormous amount, they are not admitting fault. There were several surprises during my interview with Carryn Barker, including the fact that she intends to keep working for the sheriff's department.
Barker told us, "I went through UC Berkeley as a pre-med student and was working as an EMT at the time."
Thirty-two-year-old Carryn Barker told me in this exclusive interview that she studied to be a doctor, but she became drawn to law enforcement.
"I had a change of heart. I started doing ride-alongs and I just loved it. I loved that you could be able to help somebody on their worst day and make it maybe just a little bit better or make them feel a little bit safer."
She excelled as a San Mateo County Sheriff's deputy, receiving the department's Medal of Honor with her partner, for rescuing a woman from a burning mobile home.
Barker said at the time, "And I was trying to hold my breath because it was pretty impossible to breath so I would come back out to take a breath and go back in to look for her."
Then, Barker joined the department's SWAT team, the only female member of the unit.
Carryn Barker: "And that was kind of my, my pinnacle. As soon as I became a deputy, I knew I wanted to be on SWAT."
Dan Noyes: "How long before the problems started?"
Barker: "I now see that it was almost immediate. I think at the time, I was very trying, very hard to block it out. You know, I had worked so hard to get on that team, and it was everything to me. Um, you know, it was blood, sweat and tears that I put into it."
The lawsuit against the county lists lewd comments allegedly made by her SWAT team leader, Andre Moniot, in front of other officers. "Wanting to have sex with me," Barker explained. "Wanting to watch me do sexual things with other people."
Barker tells the I-team the comments were relentless and that it got physical during a training session out of town, in front of other SWAT team members. "He wrestled me to the ground and reached his hand through my leg, you know, touching private areas."
The I-Team reached Andre Moniot on his cell phone last night; he hung up as soon as Dan Noyes said his name and referred us by text to his lawyer. Jonathan Murphy confirmed he's representing Moniot in a "personnel matter but would not go into detail and would not offer any response to Barker's lawsuit or the settlement. She told us her complaints to the county's HR department went nowhere. "I really, really hoped something would come from that, and when it didn't you know, I - I was scared."
Then, came our Batmobile investigation. In July 2022, the I-Team reported that then-Sheriff Carlos Bolanos sent a team of investigators to a garage in Indiana to recover a replica Batmobile for a friend.
Barker: "Andre Moniot was thought to be the leak, who leaked that information."
Noyes: "To me?"
Barker: "Yes, to you."
Moniot was not our source, but Bolanos sent it to internal affairs and Carryn Barker's sexual harassment complaints became part of that investigation. When it stalled, Barker resigned from the SWAT team and filed a lawsuit, that is now being settled for $8 million. Barker said, "I think it gave me hope that women can stand up for themselves and be successful, that it is possible." Carryn Barker's attorney, Zak Franklin, told us,"We were willing to settle the case for much less much earlier in the litigation before so much testimony came out."
Zak Fraklin tells us he began to press for a higher settlement amount, after he learned that Barker's colleagues on the SWAT team stood up for her and complained about Moniot's behavior. The county denied the allegations but relented.
Franklin said, "I think they feared, and rightfully so, that if we went to trial a jury could return a verdict t hat's much bigger than $8 million dollars."
A statement from current San Mateo County Sheriff Christina Corpus depicts the harassment as "incidents that occurred years ago under the previous Sheriff." It says Corpus "is committed to improving the culture" at the department "by prioritizing accountability and implementing higher standards - setting the tone that misconduct will not be tolerated under her watch."
Despite the treatment she received and how her complaints were ignored, Carryn Barker wants to remain at the San Mateo County Sheriff's Department. She's now a detective focusing on homeland security.
Barker: "I still love this career. I still love what we stand for but, you know, I'm the first to say that there are problems, and we need to fix them."
Noyes: "But you know that there are women out there who are like, 'Okay, you have this settlement. Why don't you just get out of law enforcement?'"
Barker: "I think I would be abandoning who I am. You know, this is not just a job. My son is proud to say that his mom is a detective, so he looks up to me and I still find a lot of meaning in the work I do."
Andre Moniot no longer works for the Sheriff's Office. It appears the $8 million settlement for a single plaintiff could be a record for the state, but we can't know for sure. Many settlements are confidential, but this is definitely one of the highest amounts.
Statement from John D. Nibbelin, San Mateo County Attorney
"Resolving this lawsuit through settlement reflected a business decision by the County's excess insurance carriers, who were seeking to cap their risk. The vast majority of the funds for the settlement is insurance money. In settling this case, the County did not admit liability but the County has concluded that resolving this lawsuit is in its best interest. Before the lawsuit was filed, the County commenced a detailed and thorough investigation of the allegations and took appropriate action."
Take a look at more stories by the ABC7 News I-Team.
