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SLO building inspector in jail, no longer employed

September 19, 2019

Chris Olcott’s victim unconscious on the cement floor

By KAREN VELIE

A San Luis Obispo city inspector who violently assaulted a woman in 2016 was allegedly terminated on Wednesday, according to a city staffer. [Cal Coast Times]

Several months ago, a lengthy investigation into Christopher Olcott’s work and criminal history concluded with a plan to terminate the controversial employee. Even so, until Olcott checked himself into a pay-to-stay jail, he remained on paid administrative leave.

After downing several drinks at Mr. Rick’s in Avila Beach, Olcott hit Camile Chavez, a special education teacher at Righetti High School, in the temple with his elbow, knocking her unconscious. Olcott then punched Chavez’s companion, Isaac McCormack, in the back of the head three times. Both Chavez and McCormack suffered concussions during the assault.

In Jan. 2018, Olcott stood trial for felony and misdemeanor charges of battery. The 13 day trial resulted in a hung jury, with at least one juror concerned with Olcott possibly losing his job over “two drunk Mexicans in a bar.”

Olcott later pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor assault charge in exchange for a dismissal of the felony charge. The court sentenced Olcott to 60 days in jail with a three-year suspended sentence, and ordered him to take alcohol addiction classes.

Chris Olcott

Amid public outrage over the assault, in April, City Manager Derek Johnson placed Olcott on paid administrative leave. The city then hired a private investigator while Olcott earned $1,420 a week in paid administrative leave.

Prior to Olcott’s conviction, several coworkers voiced concerns over the inspector’s alleged workplace transgressions which include accepting a gift card from a developer after doing an inspection and for yelling at a female coworker, staffers said.

On Aug. 30, Olcott began serving his sentence at the Seal Beach Detention Center. At that time, management placed him on unpaid administrative leave. On Wednesday, the city officially ended Olcott’s employment.


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Not soon enough! He should have to pay back all that paid leave.


38

Agree, but I’ll bet it will not happen. Almost 15 months getting paid without doing anything. Would be almost funny, if you didn’t understand that getting paid without doing anything (constructive) applies to many, many other city and county employees.


11

And quite a few in the private sector as well.. still waiting for a callback from the cable t.v. guy..


0

Don’t think people who need city inspections will be safe from this dangerous person yet, we all know he will sue to get his job back, with back pay. If an SLO fireman can beat a guy up and eventually get his job back this story isn’t over yet.


24

Maybe he gets his job back John Ryan Mason-style. Why shouldn’t he, given SLO City precedent? But then John Ryan Mason assaulted a white male. Maybe Olcott should have picked one. The answer is probably that they dredged up other improprieties as a basis for termination until now ignored, or even encouraged. And there will likely be a cash “settlement” from the City, as he knows where at least a few bodies are buried, as it were. Stay tuned for the $$ amount of the hush money.


9

They should of fire him the day they saw the video…..


44

Also, with the preponderance of evidence why drop the felony charge?


36

Because there are POSs who make it onto juries who are “…concerned with Olcott possibly losing his job over “two drunk Mexicans in a bar.”


1

I would love to see the “Letter of Recommendation” the city will no doubt give him.


26

If anyone wonders whether CCN and the comments section “work” at all, or serve a useful purpose…well, they DO!


This case proves it. The public outrage would not have been reported on had it not been for CCN.


Journalism. It’s so rare today. But it’s potent.


54

“Behavior That Gets Rewarded Gets Repeated.”


9

We’ve all heard about wine tasting events but when you have a Tequila tasting event followed by a crowded bar down the street, shit happens. Had it been a pot smoking event the cameras would have been turned off to protect the innocent. He’ll get his job back.


-43

Had it been a cannabis event after the first time contact was made between two people they would have turned around, laughed about it, and then shared a joint, possibly becoming friends afterwards.. but when it is alcohol, the gloves immediately come off and sucker punches are thrown.


9

Exactly, my point! Again, don’t be surprised when he will get his job back. Stupid behavior should never be rewarded even though a stupid moment has been forged into an equal opportunity person to person event. I just don’t see how loosing your cool in bar room, post tequila tasting event, drunken atmosphere, on your own time, can equate to unemployment. He certainly is a strong believer in equality, even when drunk. Very effective training, you can’t make this stuff up.


-3

I am truly surprised, given the ‘politics’ in San Luis Obispo. I’d love to see the wording of his termination on his employment record.


25

Another bad-guy scalp for CalCoastNews! Only a few hundred more to go.


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