FORT COLLINS, Colo. - Brenda Powell feels she's been violated not once, but twice. First, by the US Postal worker who sexually assaulted her on the job. And then, by the US Postal service that failed to protect her from an employee with a history of inappropriate sexual behavior.
Brenda says USPS "allowed him to do what he did, time after time after time."
The former letter carrier had just returned from her route in Fort Collins when she was sexually assaulted by fellow mail carrier, Rueben Gonzales.
"He had me pinned up against the case and was groping me inside and outside of my clothes," Powell says. "I thought he was going to rape me."
Powell says Gonzales was interrupted by another post office employee. Gonzales was convicted of the crime and later resigned from The "Old Town" post office branch.
That's when Brenda learned Gonzales had been accused of sexual misconduct at the Vail post office before he transferred to her station.
"My supervisor came in and said 'I just want you to know we found out that Rueben had assaulted someone previously,'" Brenda said.
According to pretrial documents, that supervisor admits "he was aware of rumors...that Gonzales had been transferred from Vail because of a prior sexual assault." But he did not "investigate it any further" because they were already in the process of removing (Gonzales) from the Fort Collins branch.
Our investigation confirms there were prior allegations against Gonzales.
An alleged victim from the Vail post office says Gonzales made unwanted sexual advances towards her and a second female postal worker. She says she never filed a formal complaint. The second employee is now deceased. But she says everyone at the Vail post office "knew Gonzales was a pig."
The US Postal Service would not respond to our specific questions regarding Gonzales' past.
However, it sent us a statement which read, "Ms. Powell has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service which remains in litigation. The Postal Service does not comment on pending litigation."
We tracked down Gonzales at his new job. He denied the allegations.
Still, Brenda blames the US Postal Service for failing to protect her from an employee with a history of sexual misconduct.
She's speaking out because she wants to help other women who may find themselves in the same type of situation in the workplace.
"I'm hoping if I'm loud enough, they will realize they have to take care of their employees."
Brenda says USPS "allowed him to do what he did, time after time after time."
The former letter carrier had just returned from her route in Fort Collins when she was sexually assaulted by fellow mail carrier, Rueben Gonzales.
"He had me pinned up against the case and was groping me inside and outside of my clothes," Powell says. "I thought he was going to rape me."
Powell says Gonzales was interrupted by another post office employee. Gonzales was convicted of the crime and later resigned from The "Old Town" post office branch.
That's when Brenda learned Gonzales had been accused of sexual misconduct at the Vail post office before he transferred to her station.
"My supervisor came in and said 'I just want you to know we found out that Rueben had assaulted someone previously,'" Brenda said.
According to pretrial documents, that supervisor admits "he was aware of rumors...that Gonzales had been transferred from Vail because of a prior sexual assault." But he did not "investigate it any further" because they were already in the process of removing (Gonzales) from the Fort Collins branch.
Our investigation confirms there were prior allegations against Gonzales.
An alleged victim from the Vail post office says Gonzales made unwanted sexual advances towards her and a second female postal worker. She says she never filed a formal complaint. The second employee is now deceased. But she says everyone at the Vail post office "knew Gonzales was a pig."
The US Postal Service would not respond to our specific questions regarding Gonzales' past.
However, it sent us a statement which read, "Ms. Powell has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal Service which remains in litigation. The Postal Service does not comment on pending litigation."
We tracked down Gonzales at his new job. He denied the allegations.
Still, Brenda blames the US Postal Service for failing to protect her from an employee with a history of sexual misconduct.
She's speaking out because she wants to help other women who may find themselves in the same type of situation in the workplace.
"I'm hoping if I'm loud enough, they will realize they have to take care of their employees."
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