Plaintiff's Documents Detail Allegations of Misconduct Against Elk Grove Police Chief Amid Broader Political Fallout of Workplace Harassment

As has been widely reported, a former Sacramento County Sheriff's Office captain has been granted permission by the State of California to pursue a civil lawsuit alleging sexual harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination tied to Elk Grove Police Chief Bobby Davis, according to legal filings and supporting documents.

Vanessa Vaden, a more than 20-year law enforcement veteran, received a "right-to-sue" notice from the California Civil Rights Department on March 24, authorizing her to file a lawsuit under the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act. See the second embedded document below.

The complaint outlines a series of alleged interactions between Vaden and Davis — then a senior official in the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office — that Vaden claims were sexually explicit, coercive, and ultimately damaging to her career.

According to the complaint, Davis allegedly sent Vaden "a steady stream of sexually explicit text messages, photographs, and videos," including explicit images of himself, while on duty. He also allegedly invited her to meet him for sex during work hours and suggested she call in sick to do so.

Additionally, the document alleges, "At least once, he sent her a photograph of his erect penis while he was on duty inside the Sheriff's Office."

See the first document embedded below for more detailed information on the accusations.  

The complaint further alleges that Davis used his authority over assignments, promotions, and internal investigations to pressure Vaden into a relationship, creating what she described as a coercive dynamic driven by fear of retaliation.

Vaden later claims she inadvertently discovered Davis engaged in an alleged affair with a subordinate employee within the Elk Grove Police Department. The complaint describes a December 2023 incident in which Vaden and her daughter allegedly found the subordinate hiding in Davis's backyard.

The document says, "During an innocent visit to Davis's house, Ms. Vaden and her daughter discovered the subordinate hiding in Davis's backyard, getting dressed, in the pouring rain."

After initially remaining silent, Vaden reported the alleged relationship in 2025 following anonymous letters referencing the affair, according to the filing. She claims that after cooperating with an internal investigation, she became the target of retaliation, including an internal affairs investigation, professional isolation, and ultimately termination on February 18, 2026.

Vaden's legal claims name the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Sacramento County, the City of Elk Grove, the Elk Grove Police Department, and Davis as defendants. She is represented by the law firm Antonyan Miranda LLP, according to a press release issued by the firm.

The City of Elk Grove has denied wrongdoing on Davis' part, and he remains on the job. In a statement provided to KCRA last month, the city said it had previously commissioned a third-party investigation into Vaden's claims, which concluded that the allegations were "either not sustained or unfounded." The city did not disclose who conducted the investigation.

"The City of Elk Grove supports and has full confidence in our Police Chief and Police Department," KCRA was told. The complaint challenges the integrity of that investigation, alleging key witnesses were not interviewed and that certain allegations of inappropriate conduct were not fully examined.

The case emerges amid renewed national attention on workplace harassment allegations involving public officials. This week, U.S. Reps. Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzales both resigned following separate allegations, intensifying scrutiny of misconduct and accountability in positions of power.

Ms. Vaden's attorney, Mila Arutunian of San Diego-based Antonyan Miranda, told Elk Grove News, "A lawsuit has not yet been filed. We have filed a complaint with the California Department of Civil Rights and obtained a right-to-sue notice. We have also submitted a tort claim pursuant to the California Tort Claims Act and are awaiting its processing before proceeding with filing a civil complaint."