Former Grover Beach mayor accused of sexual harassment at Santa Barbara County job
Former Grover Beach Mayor John Shoals has resigned from his job with the Santa Barbara County Planning Department amid allegations of sexual harassment.
Shoals was Grover Beach’s first directly elected mayor and held the position several times before he was termed out of office in 2018.
After that, Shoals worked as a planning supervisor with the county of Santa Barbara, where he supervised four to five staff members as well as two contract employees.
Santa Barbara County employee relations manager Carlos Silvas confirmed to The Tribune that Shoals resigned from the position in August.
According to Silvas, the county launched an investigation into Shoals in response to allegations made by a Planning Department employee. Silvas said all allegations of harassment and discrimination are referred to his department for handling.
Silvas did not disclose details of the allegations or investigation, though he did confirm the investigation concluded in late July and Shoals resigned Aug. 1.
Cal Coast Times first reported the allegations Dec. 5.
Santa Barbara County investigates ‘creepy’ incidents
Documents obtained by The Tribune in a Public Records Act request show the investigation was launched June 20, after a female coworker lodged a complaint of misconduct to her department director.
The woman — whose name was redacted from the documents but was identified as an employee of the Planning and Development Department — said Shoals’ conduct “made her feel uncomfortable,” according to the investigation report.
She said Shoals frequently asked her and a female coworker to go out for drinks and asked her to stand up and turn around so that he could look at her outfit when she wore a revealing top or shorter dress — incidents she characterized as “creepy,” according to the investigator’s notes.
Shoals also leered at her and other women and asked if she had any tattoos and where they were located, she claimed.
Witnesses interviewed in the investigation also said Shoals “seemed to have an undue interest” in the woman, according to the report.
Shoals denied any wrongdoing in the investigation report, describing most of his interactions with the woman as minor and work-related.
The investigation concluded there was evidence to support the allegations.
Shoals resigned his position on Aug. 1.
“Effective immediately I am resigning my position as supervising planner of the county of Santa Barbara,” Shoals wrote in his brief resignation letter to county Planning and Development Department assistant director Jeff Wilson. “Thank you for the opportunity.”
Grover Beach city attorney responds
Grover Beach city attorney Dave Hale told The Tribune the city is not in a position to comment on the allegations, given that it is a “personnel matter of another governmental agency.”
Hale said that, to his knowledge and based upon a review of city records, there were no written sexual harassment complaints made against Shoals during the former mayor’s time with Grover Beach.
“I can also say that during my tenure as city attorney, I have not received a complaint of any kind against Mr. Shoals,” Hale added.
Shoals did not respond to Tribune requests for comment.
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