Lawsuit spurs calls for sheriff to quit

BERNALILLO COUNTY (KRQE) - Hundreds have called for Bernalillo County Sheriff Dan Houston to resign after claims that he made sexist comments to and about women close to the department.

Just 24 hours after news of a new lawsuit claiming Houston is a racist and sexist, three groups stood on the steps leading into the sheriff’s department headquarters calling for the top cop to call it quits.

“I am hold letters from community members all over Bernalillo County, both women and women, demanding the resignation of Sheriff Houston,” Martha Burk said.

Burk was representing one of two women’s rights groups present Friday morning. The third group was Progress Now New Mexico was also in attendance.

Burk handed about 100 letters from residents from across the county asking Houston to apologize and step down.

A deputy took the letters promising to get them to the sheriff. However, residents aren't taking any chances. They also bombarded county commissioners with emails.

“I believe the number that we got was 84,” Commissioner Wayne Johnson said.

“I think we are now well over 100 e-mails,” Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins said. “People just commenting that they have found Sheriff Houston's comments to be objectionable and asking that he resign.”

The flood of e-mails comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by Houston's former spokesperson and attorney Jennifer Vega-Brown.

Vega-Brown claims Houston called one woman fat and ugly, made comments about a deputy's wife with breast cancer, doubted a county worker's claims that she was sexually harassed because she's not attractive, called Vega-Brown and her assistant whores and called a couple Hispanic women at the department fat slobs.

Hours after the lawsuit hit the news the e-mails started pouring in. They were form letters, each saying the same thing with residents attaching their names at the bottom like a petition.

In the letters, they ask commissioners to support Houston’s removal from office.

Since Houston is an elected official, the commission cannot force his removal.  Only voters can.

“We have no authority over the sheriff,” Johnson said.

He said it’s a long process.

“First there has to be probable cause of malfeasance or a violation of office,” Johnson said.

Johnson said after that is validated by district court, a petition with more than 100,000 county voters would have to be filed.

Both Commissioner Johnson and Hart Stebbins would not say if they think the sheriff should step down.

Houston has denied most of the allegations but was recorded by the Albuquerque Journal saying he did say a front desk employee looked like a fat slob at one time.

The sheriff refused to comment on Friday.