Chief of Police at Pasadena City College (PCC), Steven Matchan, resigned in October 2026 while facing a civil lawsuit filed by six current and former female PCC Campus Police employees. The Steven Matchan sexual harassment lawsuit, filed May 4, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleges that former Chief of Police sexually harassed the women through inappropriate and nonconsensual touching over nearly a decade, and that the Pasadena Area Community College District and other officials ignored the conduct. The case remains open, and the allegations have not been proven in court. Anyone who believes they were harassed or abused by a campus official can speak confidentially with a sexual assault attorney at Dordulian Law Group by calling (866) GO-SEE-SAM.
Pasadena City College’s top law enforcement officer, Chief of Police Steven Matchan, has resigned, according to an email sent to faculty on a Thursday morning in October 2026. The announcement came from Bob Blizinski, the college’s Vice President of Human Resources, who is himself named as a defendant in the same lawsuit. About an hour later, students received a similar message from Dr. Ivan Peña, the Assistant Superintendent and Vice President of Student Services.
As the PCC Courier previously reported, Matchan is one of several defendants in a lawsuit brought by six former and current female employees of the PCC Campus Police Department. According to court documents, the alleged harassment spans nearly a decade. College President José Gómez had earlier announced that Matchan was placed on leave and that Alan Chan would serve as interim Chief of Police while an investigation took place. It remains unclear exactly when Matchan was placed on leave.
In the faculty email, the District said it remains committed to responsive, community-focused police and safety services. The college also stated it will begin a national search for a new police chief, which will include a Selection Advisory Committee. The official reason for Matchan’s resignation has not been disclosed, and the lawsuit is ongoing.
The case, Valdez, et al. v. Pasadena Area Community College District, et al., was filed on May 4, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse. According to the PCC Courier, the six women first filed complaints with the California Civil Rights Department in March 2026 before filing the civil lawsuit.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs allege that:
Court records show the District has filed an answer, as well as a demurrer and motion to strike portions of the amended complaint. Those motions are currently set for hearing in May 2027. All defendants are presumed not liable unless and until the plaintiffs prove their claims. Dordulian Law Group does not represent any party in this case.
When the person accused of harassment is the head of a police department, survivors face obstacles that most workers never encounter. The alleged harasser controls promotions, assignments, and discipline. He also leads the very agency that would normally receive a report of misconduct. For young employees who are also students, the pressure is even greater, because speaking up can feel like risking both a career and an education.
This kind of power imbalance is exactly why California law holds employers strictly accountable for harassment by supervisors, and why institutions can face liability when leaders who knew or should have known about misconduct failed to stop it. As a former sex crimes prosecutor, Sam Dordulian has seen how abusers in positions of authority rely on silence, fear, and institutional loyalty to avoid accountability.
Survivors of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct in California have several potential paths to justice. A civil case is separate from any criminal investigation, and it does not require criminal charges or a conviction. Depending on the facts, claims may include:
California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Government Code section 12940, prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace, including at public employers such as community college districts. When the harasser is a supervisor, the employer can be held strictly liable. FEHA also requires employers to take all reasonable steps to prevent harassment and prohibits retaliation against anyone who reports it. Learn more about how our workplace sexual harassment lawyers and employment law attorneys help survivors.
Unwanted sexual touching can also support a civil claim for sexual battery under California Civil Code section 1708.5. Adult survivors of sexual assault generally have 10 years from the last act, or three years from discovering the resulting injury, to file a civil lawsuit under Code of Civil Procedure section 340.16.
Survivors who were students when the misconduct occurred may also have rights under Title IX and California Education Code section 66270, which prohibit sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, at colleges that receive public funding. Our school sexual abuse attorneys handle claims involving schools, colleges, and their employees.
Colleges, districts, and supervisors can be held responsible when they ignore warning signs, discourage reporting, or fail to investigate. California has also expanded legal options for adult survivors whose claims involve institutional cover-ups through laws such as AB 2777, the Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up Accountability Act, and AB 250, the Sexual Assault Statute of Limitations Extension Act. Each law has specific eligibility requirements and exclusions, including limits on certain claims against public entities, so an attorney should review your situation directly.
Claims against public entities like a community college district come with strict procedural rules. Missing a deadline can permanently bar a claim, even a strong one.
Because these rules overlap and depend on specific facts, the safest step is a free, confidential consultation as early as possible. Call (866) GO-SEE-SAM or request a free consultation online.
If you are a current or former PCC employee or student, or a family member of someone who was harmed, you may have legal rights if you experienced:
You do not need to know whether you have a case before calling. You do not need a police report, and you do not need to be a named plaintiff in an existing lawsuit. Learn what happens in a first conversation with a sexual assault attorney.
Dordulian Law Group was built to fight for survivors. Founder Sam Dordulian is a former sex crimes prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney for Los Angeles County. During his prosecutorial career, he won more than 100 jury trials and put dangerous sexual predators behind bars. Today, he and his team have maintained a 98% winning record and have recovered more than $200 million for clients.
Survivors who work with DLG are supported by our in-house SAJE Team (Sexual Assault Justice Experts), a four-tiered model of representation that few firms can match:
Cases against public agencies and their leaders demand a firm that knows how law enforcement agencies work from the inside. DLG handles sexual harassment, sexual abuse, and rape and sexual assault cases on a contingency basis, which means you pay nothing unless we win. Review our case results and client testimonials, or learn more about our firm.
The official reason has not been disclosed. His resignation was announced in October 2026 while he faces a civil lawsuit from six current and former female Campus Police employees alleging sexual harassment. The lawsuit is ongoing.
Six current and former female PCC Campus Police employees filed the lawsuit on May 4, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Defendants include Matchan, the Pasadena Area Community College District, Vice President of Human Resources Robert Blizinski, and a campus police sergeant.
Yes. Public employers, including community college districts, are covered by California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act. Survivors may also have claims for sexual battery or under Title IX and the California Education Code. Strict deadlines and procedural rules apply to claims against public entities.
Possibly. FEHA claims generally must be filed with the Civil Rights Department within three years, while adult sexual assault claims generally allow 10 years from the last act or three years from discovery. Revival laws like AB 2777 and AB 250 may help in some situations. An attorney can review your timeline.
No. Anyone who believes they were harmed may be able to pursue an individual claim. A confidential consultation can help you understand your options.
Many survivors are concerned about privacy. In some cases, survivors may be able to proceed using a pseudonym such as Jane Doe. Your consultation with DLG is always confidential.
Consultations are free, and DLG works on a contingency fee basis. You pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Call (866) GO-SEE-SAM.
Have more questions? Visit our Q&A page.
If you or someone you love was harassed, touched without consent, or retaliated against by a campus police official or college employee, you do not have to face it alone. Dordulian Law Group is available 24/7 for free, confidential consultations. Call (866) GO-SEE-SAM or contact us online to speak with a member of our team. Dordulian Law Group serves survivors in Pasadena, Glendale, Los Angeles, and throughout California.
Source: PCC Courier; court records in Valdez, et al. v. Pasadena Area Community College District, et al., Los Angeles County Superior Court.
Author
"*" indicates required fields
