Oroville Dam Lawsuit: Racism, Sexual Harassment, Theft At State Water Agency

A lawsuit filed Wednesday against the state water agency in charge of the Oroville Dam not only alleges mismanagement and disregard for the public’s safety, but also a toxic work environment rife with racism, sexual harassment and theft. Top officials at the Department of Water Resources are at times referred to as the “water mafia” in a suit filed by the city of Oroville, which is demanding millions of dollars for infrastructure damage and costs associated with dam spillover and the evacuation of 188,000 in February 2017.