July 30, 2013
The Los Angeles Times reports that Eddie "Piolin" Sotelo's abrupt departure from radio last week came after a co-host on his show accused him of sexual harassment. Alberto "Beto" Cortez alleges that Sotelo was "physically, sexually, and emotionally harassing" him for three years. That claim was sent by Cortez's attorney Robert Clayton in April to Univision executives Roberto Llamas and Jose Valle. Univision syndicated the program. According to the paper, Sotelo's attorney, Jeffrey Spitz, said the allegations were false and motivated by money.
Spitz said in a statement, "A disgruntled, troubled employee has made malicious and false claims about Eddie Sotelo. This was done as part of a demand for money ... The employee worked with Eddie for more than a decade. The employee's allegations of harassment and falsification of immigration letters are pure fiction intended to gain a financial settlement."
In the documents obtained by The Times, Cortez claimed that Sotelo repeatedly made aggressive and unwanted sexual advances, including grabbing Cortez's buttocks and genitals when Cortez would arrive at work in the morning at the Glendale studio. Cortez alleged that Sotelo taunted him during staff meetings, calling him by a derogatory term for a homosexual, and telling him to say that he was gay. Sotelo also asked vulgar questions about Cortez's girlfriend, according to the documents.
In addition to the claim of sexual harassment, Cortez alleged that Sotelo ordered members of his radio production team to falsify letters in support of a high-profile campaign for congressional immigration reform, an issue that Sotelo championed on his program.
Read the full Times story HERE
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