UC Santa Barbara Police Chief Sued for Sexual Battery

A new lawsuit against UC Santa Barbara’s police department alleges sexual assault committed by interim police chief James Brock, according to the student-run Daily Nexus. Brock has been accused by a student of coming up behind her at a dining commons in August 2019, where he “grabbed her buttocks, slid his hand up her back and whispered in her ear,” the lawsuit states. The Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case, and UCSB’s response to the Nexus was that “an employee tripped and fell into another person.” This is the seventh lawsuit against UCPD since 2018, most involving allegations of retaliation by UCPD brass against officers who complained of others’ conduct, including sexual harassment or assault.