California Lottery cancels sales meeting in aftermath of rowdy party photos

Aug 15, 2018, 7:10 am (16 comments)

California Lottery

The California Lottery is postponing a planned sales conference in the wake of an anonymous employee's recent complaint to Gov. Jerry Brown about senior leaders behaving inappropriately at a Southern California bar two years ago.

The department on Tuesday announced that it's delaying the conference while it retools some of the training it intended to offer to focus on human resources and nondiscrimination policies.

The conference was expected to take place next week in Sacramento.

"The Lottery values staff training, which is why we will continue to invest in this effort at a time and in a manner that best benefits Lottery staff and our beneficiary — public education," Lottery Deputy Director of Sales David Cole wrote.

Cole does not explicitly mention the complaint that went to Brown's administration earlier this month. Cole's message refers to "recent events."

The employee's complaint to Brown included photographs of senior Lottery leaders carrying on at a dueling piano bar in Claremont, with one image allegedly showing an official with his head up a woman's shirt. Performers at dueling piano bars often play up sexual themes.

"The scheduled training would currently serve as a distraction, rather than meet its objective of educating sales staff on new tools to assist our retailers, providing new Lottery equipment and product updates, and refreshing training on industry specific areas such as effective inventory management and merchandising," Cole wrote.

Brown's office last week announced that it asked the Attorney General's Office to investigate the anonymous complaint. The State Controller's Office also is auditing the Lottery's financial management practices.

Lottery spokesman Russ Lopez declined to elaborate on Cole's message. Last week, the state Lottery Commission said it is "reviewing the allegations outlined in an anonymous letter recently provided to the commission and the media. Appropriate action will be taken."

Merced Sun-Star

Comments

Bleudog101

LOL!!

TheMeatman2005's avatarTheMeatman2005

You would think that with everyone having a cell phone (with camera) that public officials would behave more appropriately in public, but nooooooooooo, boys must be boys.

It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye!.....or their job.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

So Big Brother is here, in a way. 

From Scarface;

"Ju like that #@%^. You got a chivato on every corned tell you what to think what to do, what to say"

Tony Montana on life in Fidel Castro's Cuba

noise-gate

These are the Attorney General’s recommendations. Next time they ought to take the whistle blowers suggestions to heart. Have a party that allows musical chairs or jumping on the spot. Heaven forbid someone should truly have a good time. If we going to see & hear piano playing , let it be out in the open, where we can bring the kids along.

Coin Toss's avatarCoin Toss

Gary Hart couldn't run for president because as tabloid ran a picture of him in a boat with his 'other'. Ironically, he was wearing a tee shirt that said 'Monkey business.'

A few years later the President and Monica Lewinsky..........in the White House.

Cal. lottery memo

The 'cancelled meeting will be held in a private suite on the 35th floor of the Beverly Hills........

music*'s avatarmusic*

"The State Controller's Office also is auditing the Lottery"s financial management practices."

 A Californian lottery winner of $600.00 or more will receive their check from the State Controller's Office.  The Lottery Office in Sacramento does the security check on the ticket to make sure it is legit and there are no problems with it.

 This complaint is a black eye for the CA Lottery. But black eyes heal with the proper treatment.

 The Lottery employees go through a Department of Justice background check before they are hired. 

 The CA Lottery does help education a little but it is the taxes and taxpayers who bear the load of school funding. 

Mail For You

noise-gate

You have got to love the “ anonymous letter & complaint” piece.I say if this party bothered the whistle blower/ blowers  that much, why not post your name.Get it out there to your fellow co workers that you did not like what was going on. Grow a spine- this is not deep throat.

I bet if this fellow WB is interviewed behind a screen & their voice changed, you would probably hear,”! l am a Mother, l have small children”..well guess what, your actions have now put those pictures out there for your children to see. Btw- l am also a Sunday School Teacher, really? Then what were you  doing at the bar taking pictures?” To show your disciples how the rest of the world carried on? Inviting them to view the “ dark side?”

Appropriate action will be taken... right.

thell128's avatarthell128

Personally I feel like the whistle blower thought they may get a promotion or something out of the deal but when none of that transpired they told on the individuals. Because why wait two years from the incident before you say anything if you were filing anonymously anyway?  Ijs

Artist77's avatarArtist77

A lot of people have dinner at bars and places that serve alcohol. It does not mean they are drinking or there for other reasons. There are laws regarding whistle-blower protections and there is always some level of retaliation once the name is known or suspected. This is common knowledge in the workplace if you have a career. This is why many women and minorities keep their mouths closed or change jobs. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

music*'s avatarmusic*

It is time for boycotts. Women lead boycotts. They hold the purse strings.

Patriot

ckrakowski

Quote: Originally posted by thell128 on Aug 15, 2018

Personally I feel like the whistle blower thought they may get a promotion or something out of the deal but when none of that transpired they told on the individuals. Because why wait two years from the incident before you say anything if you were filing anonymously anyway?  Ijs

Did you read the original article?

 

They did not wait 2 years.

 

An anonymous report was filed last year and no action was taken.

 

Quote from the first article:

 

"It was the second time that the package and an appeal for an investigation was sent to the administration. The similar anonymous package was sent to the administration a year ago."

 

So it sounds like it was the same person yet nothing was done.

 

I am guessing the only reason anything is being done now is because he is seeking re-election and wants to be seen "doing something" about it.

noise-gate

This is what l call classic BS This WB wants to make a name for themselves. 

Check this out: Lets for argument sake say you are the Whistle-blower. You invited to the party, you attend, but do not like what you see, so instead of leaving- you decide to take pictures and send them off to the higher-ups,  " hoping something can be done" about a party that is now history. When no word gets back to you after a year, what do you do? Well, let me send another batch, to remind them that even after all this time, this still bothers you. Two years? By all accounts, this behavior did not repeat itself in 2017. But for two years that event has eaten away at you? That is an obsession. i would say this whistle-blower needs professional help.

Image result for children throwing a tantrum This whistleblower  is throwing a tantrum- plain and simple.!

Bleudog101

Quote: Originally posted by on Mar 28, 2024

Personally I could care less.  Does it affect me? 

Not a hypocrite. 

Maybe I'm missing something or didn't care to thoroughly comprehend the articles, but has the Whistleblower name ever come up?  Anonymous sending of pictures will not hold up in court; you know something called KNOW YOUR ACCUSER as part of the Constitution. 

Nodda4me's avatarNodda4me
Confrontation Clause. The Confrontation Clause of the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution provides that "in all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right…to be confronted with the witnesses against him."

I don't believe this is a criminal prosecution case.

However, "Attorney General's Office to investigate the anonymous complaint" - maybe they can take the them to court? I don't know. Even then, it's not considered a criminal case...

PS. I have not attended to a law school.
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