By Nick Worth Five more workers in the Holbrook City Water/Wastewater Department have filed notices of claim against the city for $1 million each. Markos Serna, Armando Aguilera, Michael Kennedy, Oscar Chairez and Carlos Jimenez have filed virtually identical claims against the city over alleged actions by City Manager Ray Alley. In the claims, the men allege that they have been racially and sexually harassed by Alley, and had to seek medical treatment for the “profound emotional and mental trauma” caused by Alley’s actions. The men’s water department co-worker Louis Baldonado has already sent a notice of claim to the city seeking $5 million for similar claims of harassment by Alley, plus some other specific incidents relating only to him. Aguilera’s claim of notice also details some incidents of alleged harassment specific only to him. All the notices of claims were filed by attorney Eduardo H. Coronado of the Coronado Law Firm, who is also handling Baldonado’s claim. In his claim, Aguilera said Alley came to his house while he was on a day off, and told him to tell Baldonado to stop making public information requests seeking information on the pay rates of other city personnel or Alley would fire him. In his claim, Aguilera said he felt threatened by Alley that if he, Aguilera, did not fire Baldonado, he would in turn be fired. He also claims he was denied a raise when he was in fact entitled to one and that he was denied additional vacation time because Alley said he had not worked long enough to earn it, even though additional vacation time was given to Police Chief Mark Jackson under similar circumstances. In all the men’s claims, they allege a tracking device was installed in the work truck of one of the crew members without his knowledge and that no tracking devices were installed in the vehicles used by other city departments. In all the men’s notices Coronado states, “Such targeting of the water/waste water department is discriminatory and has a harassing effect as well. It is obvious Mr. Alley inappropriately used his power to target and harass Mr. Aguilera (Chairez, Kennedy, Jimenez and Serna) and the water/waste water department and its crew. Moreover, it is not clear whether proper protocol was followed when the tracking device was installed.” The men’s claims go on to state that on Nov. 18, 2013, a wire became loose in a tracking device on one of the department’s vehicles and that Alley then ordered all the department workers to undergo an investigation by the Holbrook Police Department. Coronado claims this made his clients feel intimidated and that the city had no right to order an employee to submit to an investigation. He then states such harassment stems from Alley’s desire to fire and harass Baldonado. He also states that every employee subjected to the police investigation is Hispanic. The men also claim racial discrimination in that they are paid less than other city employees who have less time on the job than they do. Coronado singles out certain employees who are related to or friends with Alley as being paid more than their Hispanic counterparts in the water department. They also claim that on several occasions Alley has ordered them not to claim overtime pay that was due them. Under the sexual harassment claim, the men say Alley installed a camera without their knowledge in the dressing area of the department where they change into and out of their work clothes. They further claim that they never gave permission to this invasion of privacy and had “all reasonable expectation that such an area would be a private area.” The men all claim they have suffered “severe emotional and mental distress” as a result of Alley’s actions, that they had to seek medical treatment because of the trauma, and that their “extended pain and suffering” has been profound. Under the “pain and suffering” heading of the claim, Coronado cites “the extreme nature of harassment and discrimination, which has been humiliating and has stifled (all the men’s) opportunity for advancement with the city.” When asked to comment, Alley said he felt he was not discriminatory in his hiring practices. “I stand by my hiring practices and my personal history,” Alley said, declining further comment on the matter.