Rick Callender
(Read the report and Callender’s response)
Rick Callender, who was fired by the Valley Water board as the agency’s $716,000-a-year CEO, sexually harassed his employees, according to a report by lawyers hired by the board.
While it isn’t news that Callender was accused of sexual harassment, Valley Water had held on to the public reports until now. The report was dated Sept. 10, 2025 — nearly six months ago.
In the report, the law firm of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo found Callender sent sexual comments and photos — such as a photo of his clothed crotch area — and made intimidating statements to workers.
The investigators also found that Callender — who is also a top executive in the NAACP — was spending his time at Valley Water working on NAACP business. Callender also used Valley Water property to host NAACP events. But the investigators noted that Valley Water’s policies weren’t clear about whether it was against their rules to have a CEO who wears two hats.
Callender’s attorney, Lori Costanzo, said the most damaging allegations were cherry picked by the investigators. She said his comments with sexual references were “taken out of context.”
Callender stepped down a few days before the report was released. He stepped down after he was presented by the board with a separation agreement that ended his employment as CEO. He had been on leave for the previous 14 months.
Callender went on leave on Dec. 16, 2024, days after Salam Baqleh, a labor union leader representing most of the agency’s 850 employees, publicly demanded an unnamed executive be placed on administrative leave after a lower employee named the boss in a formal misconduct complaint.
The union cited fears of retaliation against the employee due to the unnamed leader’s stature and power over the agency. After the union threatened to keep speaking publicly about the misconduct complaint, Callender stopped showing up to meetings.
The leave was first described as “medical” then as “voluntary.”
On Feb. 10 Valley Water board chair Tony Estremera said, “At no time was Mr. Callender disciplined or forced to resign or retire due to any reported investigations.”
However, the board presented Callender with a separation agreement that pays him $716,000 to step down without suing Valley Water. As a result, both sides claims’ will never be tested in court before a neutral fact-finder.
He is barred from Valley Water’s headquarters unless he is accompanied by Estremera. But the agreement says he will continue as a “special adviser.” The agreement doesn’t explain how he could work as an adviser without entering the agency’s offices.
The $716,000 figure includes an annual pension contribution of $167,000.