City Investigating Fresno Police Union President for Sexual Harassment as Leadership Election Looms

The city of Fresno is investigating Sgt. Jeff La Blue, president of the Fresno Police Officers Association, over sexual harassment allegations. La Blue and the union settled a lawsuit with former office manager Anna Pine in March for an undisclosed amount.

City Manager Georgeanne White says the investigation started in February, weeks after Pine filed her lawsuit. She expects it done in 60 to 90 days. A third-party is running the probe.

Union attorney Michael Rains is calling it retaliation. He says the city didn’t reach out to La Blue about the investigation until August 18 — six months after the lawsuit. “The timing of this is transparent,” Rains told The Bee. He says the city is trying to manipulate the union’s upcoming leadership election and plans to file a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board.

White says flat-out that’s not what’s happening. “In no way is this investigation retaliatory, nor does it have anything to do with an upcoming FPOA election.”

Brandon Wiemiller, a patrol sergeant and former union president, is challenging La Blue. He served two terms from 2020 to 2024, then stepped back to return to field work. Members asked him to run again. “They didn’t feel like they were getting the help they needed,” Wiemiller said. “The more people I talked to, the more it weighed heavy on my heart.”

Wiemiller says the allegations have been “a distraction from what the FPOA’s purpose is.” He also says he was shocked to learn from the lawsuit that the union records audio and video in its offices. “I was in that office for four years. I found that out with everybody else.”

The union is taking nominations now for its leadership election.

The Breakdown

• Sgt. Jeff La Blue, president of the Fresno Police Officers Association, is under city investigation for sexual harassment.
• La Blue and the union settled a lawsuit in March with former office manager Anna Pine over sexual harassment claims. The amount is not public.
• City Manager Georgeanne White says the investigation started in February and should wrap in 60 to 90 days.
• Union attorney Michael Rains says the city is retaliating for a July grievance over a 1% raise the union says it’s owed, and that the timing is meant to interfere with the union’s leadership election.
• Brandon Wiemiller, a former union president, is running against La Blue. He says members asked him to challenge because they weren’t getting the help they needed.

What This Means for You

The Fresno Police Officers Association represents officers in the city. The union’s president is under investigation for sexual harassment, and the union’s attorney is publicly accusing the city manager of retaliation. The union is also holding a leadership election, with a former president challenging the incumbent after members said they weren’t getting the help they needed.

What to Watch

The city manager says the investigation into sexual harassment allegations will wrap in 60 to 90 days. The union attorney says the city is retaliating over a pay dispute and plans to file a complaint with the California Public Employment Relations Board.

Watch what happens with that complaint if Rains files it. Watch whether the investigation finishes in the timeline White gave. And watch whether Wiemiller’s challenge gains support from members who told him they weren’t getting the representation they needed.