The opinions expressed by columnists are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Crescent City Times.com By Investigative Reporter, Linda Sutter – September 29, 2025 A formal complaint was submitted on September 19th to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleging systemic discrimination and harassment within the Crescent City Harbor District. Among the most shocking allegations: Harbor Patrol employees locked a female tenant inside a bathroom for nearly two hours. After securing the door, they drove away, leaving her confined until she called the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Department for help. The complaint paints a broader picture of a hostile culture fostered by three harbor commissioners, the harbormaster, and staff member Sandy Moreno—a culture that disproportionately targets and silences women. Pattern of Abuse by Chair Weber Chairman, Gerhard Weber At the center of the complaint is Harbor District Chair Gerhard Weber, accused of repeated adversarial outbursts and abuse of authority. According to the filing, Weber used his gavel as a weapon of intimidation—slamming it down to silence women speakers, interrupting their public comments, and attempting eight times to have female members of the public forcibly removed from meetings, since January this year. The report notes that during the September 10, 2025 meeting, Weber ordered the removal of women from the chamber. However, Del Norte Sheriff’s Captains refused, affirming that the public had a right to remain. In nearly every instance where Weber attempted such removals, the Harbor District’s own general counsel overruled him, which basically highlights a pattern of overreach and misuse of authority. Harassment by Harbor Patrol The complaint further outlines misconduct by Harbor Patrol employees, who allegedly subjected female RV Park tenants to degrading language. Women were referred to as “tweakers,” “shower Nazis,” “hoes,” and “drunkards.” The bathroom-locking incident is described as one of the most egregious examples of abuse. The tenant remained trapped for almost two hours until she contacted law enforcement to secure her release. Such conduct, the report emphasizes, directly violates the Harbor District’s newly adopted non-discrimination policy, a policy mandated by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) as a condition for federal grant funding. Calls for Accountability In response to this ongoing misconduct, a Cease and Desist, Cure and Correct letter was submitted demanding the censorship and removal of Chair Weber from his leadership position. The letter cites his pattern of gender-based discrimination, including allowing male participants to speak freely without interruption, granting them time extensions, while simultaneously silencing and attempting to eject women. Commissioner John Evans, a sworn peace officer, was also named in the complaint. Evans allegedly reinforced discriminatory practices by repeatedly calling “points of order” over women’s mere positive utterances during public comment, further chilling participation and undermining free speech. Harbor Commissioner, John Evans Broader Implications The allegations point to a culture of intimidation and hostility that runs contrary to both California law and the Harbor District’s fiduciary duty to its community. If substantiated, the actions of the commissioners and staff may not only result in civil rights litigation but could also place the District’s federal funding at risk. The ACLU complaint seeks to hold Crescent City Harbor leadership accountable for creating and enabling a hostile environment—one that silences women, degrades tenants, and undermines the very principles of transparency and equality the District is sworn to uphold.