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SLO city worker’s assault victim seeking restitution

June 21, 2019

Chris Olcott

The woman assaulted by a San Luis Obispo employee at an Avila Beach bar is seeking restitution in the aftermath of the city worker’s conviction. [Cal Coast Times]

On May 28, 2016, Chris Olcott, a city planning and building department inspector, was drinking at Mr. Rick’s when he noticed Isaac McCormack and Camile Chavez standing behind him at the bar. After glancing back at McCormack and Chavez several times, Olcott pushed Chavez two times and then bumped into her.

Chavez, a special education teacher at Righetti High School, pushed back. Olcott responded by hitting her in the face with his elbow and knocking her unconscious.

While Chavez lay unconscious on the floor, Olcott punched McCormack in the back of the head three times. Both Chavez and McCormack suffered concussions.

Earlier this year, Olcott pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge and received 60 days in jail with a three-year suspended sentence. With approval from the SLO County Sheriff’s Office, Olcott has elected to serve his time behind bars in an Orange County pay-to-stay jail.

Attorney Jim McKiernan, who is representing Chavez, said his client is still coping with medical problems as a result of the assault. A restitution hearing in the case was scheduled for Thursday, but it was postponed after McKiernan requested more time to calculate Chavez’s medical expenses.

A judge rescheduled the hearing for Aug. 22.

More than a year ago, city administrators discovered Olcott had been arrested on felony and misdemeanor battery charges. Even so, Community Development Director Michael Codron awarded Olcott a promotion and a raise.

After CalCoastNews posted the video of the assault, city administrators placed Olcott on paid administrative leave while an outside investigator reviews the incident and Olcott’s past behavioral issues, which include a prior complaint of hostility toward a co-worker, a fellow city employee said.

The city has paid Olcott $11,821.50 since placing him on administrative leave more than two months ago.

Meanwhile, community members have expressed outrage that the city has continued to employ Olcott.


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If you are not represented under a union memorandum of understanding (MOU) you can be terminated for any, or no, reason not related to gender, race, national origin, sexual orientation, pregnancy, marital status, age, medical conditions, disability, or other protected classes. Olcott, represented under an MOU, can only be terminated based on unsatisfactory job performance evaluations, so that is the City’s only recourse. This is where the rubber meets the road, period. Will be interesting to watch. If his previous evaluations were satisfactory and that suddenly changes as a result of his off-duty conduct, the City may be in the position of defending itself.


2

His wife should leave him and file for spousal support, but something tells me he’s not the bread winner.


3

Voltaire once said “Common sense is not so common.” The City of San Luis Obispo represents the death of common sense. How can the City Council and city voters tolerate this?


16

It could be they saw the entire film, not just the moment of bad drinking judgment in a bar full of people who were at the tequila tasting event that was held in town.


-7

And what lead to the hung jury in the original trial?


1

Is there a GoFundMe site to help pay legal fees for this teacher to sue and sue and sue this guy?


14

Lawyers take the case on contingency – they’ll get paid.


6

Well the highest law in the land almost impunity DA Dow and good Ol Parkinson whom people voted for, more injustices and unstable people will walk free. Protected classes, until people vote freely without political class bias on all ends, and with empathy and ethics.


9

Unfortunately this is probably the only method to wake up SLO City Management.


33

Ladies & Gentlemen,


This whole sordid affair involving Criminal Chris Olcott and the City of San Luis Obispo just shows that Mayor Heidi Harmon DOES NOT believe in #MeToo, or holding city employees accountable. Harmon is too beholden to the city employee unions who funded her campaigns for public office to do anything to offend them.


Understand that, under Heidi harmon, the city of SLO put this criminal, Mr. Olcott, on PAID administrative leave while he is doing his jail term, so he is literally being paid to be in jail. This protecting of the SLO City employee speaks ill of Harmon and her progressive city council, and their actions show that they view the women’s rights issue as just a campaign slogan.


What city would employ a criminal like Olcott?


Boycott Heidi Harmon

Boycot Aaron Gomez

Boycott Erika Stewart

Boycot Carolyn Christianson

Boycot Andy Pease


32

While I am not impressed by the mayor, the city manager is directly responsible for the employees. So it is his responsibility to deal with this issue. He works for the five elected officials.


10

Mr. MB Business Owner,


You are correct, but you must understand that SLO City Manager Derek Johnson doesn’t tie his shoes without Harmon’s consent, and his inaction reflects the will and attitude of failed Mayor Harmon and her progressive ilk on the city council.


I hope this helps.


1

I would slap him with law suite after law suite…..go for his cash…take him down….you may not get anything but he will have to spend what he has on attorneys…he will be sleeping on a park bench soon…


38

LOW LIFE PUNK A** …Any man that would throw his elbow to a women deserves to be a bitch in prison or be prosecuted for great bodily harm, once again our court system has failed and only given minimal jail time, obviously he has anger issues if he acts out like this, maybe some mandatory behavioral counseling. Any person who works for a City or Government should be held to higher standards. She is laying there unconscious as he continues to act stupid and beat her boyfriend.


46

He would have been picking glass out of his bloodied skull if I had witnessed his attack on that lady (regardless of what she may or may not have done).


2

You want to break his head with a weapon?! Guess your hands are somehow no good? OMG! Such a hero! Able to make terrorist threats to a large violent man from the safety of your laptop.


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