Travis Martinez to retire within 10 days as part of agreement resolving his whistleblower claim. City Council approves deal in 3-2 closed-session vote.
After cutting ties with developer Shangri-La Industries, city officials will discuss acquiring the property that houses more than 100 formerly homeless residents.
Travis Martinez to retire within 10 days as part of agreement resolving his whistleblower claim. City Council approves deal in 3-2 closed-session vote.
UPDATE — 6:50 p.m. | April 15, 2025: The Redlands City Council voted 3-2 in closed session Tuesday night to approve a settlement agreement with Deputy Police Chief Travis Martinez, resolving the government claim he filed against the city.
Following closed session, the city attorney reported that under the agreement, Martinez will retire within 10 days and receive $871,956, in addition to his accrued leave and other accruals. The city also agreed to:
Both parties will release each other from any current or future claims.
Mayor Mario Saucedo, Council Member Eddie Tejeda and Council Member Denise Davis voted in favor of the settlement, while Mayor Pro Tem Marc Shaw and Council Member Paul Barich opposed it. Once fully executed, the agreement will be on file with the City Clerk’s Office.
Travis Martinez says he was punished for reporting misconduct and safety risks. City Council to meet in closed session Tuesday to review the claim.
Originally published Tuesday, March 15 at 1:07pm
REDLANDS, Calif. — A high-ranking Redlands police official has accused city leaders of retaliation, discrimination and efforts to cover up serious allegations—including sexual misconduct and the city’s handling of a fatal train crash—according to a claim filed against the city of Redlands.
Deputy Police Chief Travis Martinez, a 30-year department veteran, contends in the heavily redacted claim that he was passed over for promotion, stripped of responsibilities and publicly undermined after raising concerns about unethical conduct by top officials.
The 16-page government claim submitted in June 2023 will be considered by Redlands City Council during closed session on Tuesday April 15.
Before suing a government agency in California, individuals must first file a government claim—a formal notice outlining alleged misconduct and potential damages. Closed sessions are permitted under California’s Brown Act for matters involving potential lawsuits, personnel issues or real estate negotiations (Government Code §54956.9). It is a violation of the law for participants to disclose what is discussed during a closed session.
City spokesperson Carl Baker declined to comment, citing the city’s policy of not addressing pending claims or closed-session matters.
The document alleges a pattern of reprisals for speaking up about misconduct involving city administrators and police leadership.
“Martinez has suffered retaliation for being a whistleblower against the City officials who agreed to enter into an unlawful conspiracy with each other to deny Martinez the full benefits of his employment with the City and the discrimination taken against him based upon his exercise of protected conduct,” the claim states.
Martinez alleges retaliation after raising public safety concerns related to a 2023 Metrolink collision that killed a Redlands woman, Heather Lynn Woolard, and her 11-year-old daughter, Presley.
The crash occurred April 4, 2023, when Woolard’s car was struck by a Metrolink train at the crossing near Alabama Street. Police initially reported that the vehicle had stopped beyond the limit line as the crossing arms came down, and then—for unknown reasons—proceeded onto the tracks. Woolard died the next day. Her daughter died at the scene.
The City of Redlands, the County of San Bernardino, Metrolink, and multiple transportation contractors are named as defendants in an active wrongful death lawsuit filed by the Chiakowsky family. The case alleges that unsafe roadway design, inadequate traffic signal synchronization and dangerous conditions at the Alabama Street crossing contributed to the fatal collision.
Much of the section in Martinez’s claim referencing the crash is redacted due to the ongoing litigation. However, he alleges the city sought to suppress evidence of the hazardous conditions and discouraged him from publicly disclosing safety flaws—particularly after he reviewed surveillance footage from a nearby business that highlighted risks.
“It was implied that the City did not want to correct this dangerous condition in order to protect itself from the litigation by not exposing the dangerous condition or bringing it to light,” the claim states.
In December 2023—eight months after the crash—Metrolink confirmed it had adjusted the preemptive warning lights at the Alabama and Eureka Street crossings after discovering the system was not working as intended.
Martinez also alleges that city officials ignored early warnings about multiple sexual harassment claims involving former Deputy Chief Mike Reiss, who retired in 2023 amid growing scrutiny.
The city paid $1.7 million to settle a lawsuit that same year brought by two officers who accused Reiss and others of fostering a “culture of pervasive sexual favoritism.” One of the plaintiffs, Laurel Falconieri, alleged ongoing harassment and retaliation before she was fired. Another case—Alvarado-Salcido v. City of Redlands—remains active in San Bernardino Superior Court.
Martinez, the claim states, "believes that high-ranking members of the government were aware of the allegations for months and did nothing to investigate or protect other employees."
According to the timeline outlined in the claim, the city government was served with the Salcido lawsuit on December 1, 2022 and nearly two months later no action had been taken.
"This shows a complete intentional failure from the City Manager and demonstrates how significant allegations of sexual misconduct are treated in a laissez-faire manner and complete lack of diligence within the city," the claim states.
Additional lawsuits filed by Redlands Police Department employees echo Martinez’s concerns, including detailed allegations of evidence destruction, sexual harassment, and retaliation.
In a lawsuit filed in 2023, forensic specialist Geneva Holzer alleged that Reiss, then a lieutenant, and Sgt. Kyle Alexander ordered her to destroy a chair found in the department’s restricted evidence room that she had tested and confirmed to contain semen. Holzer claims the discovery could have exposed ongoing sexual misconduct but was instead covered up by department leaders. She also alleges Reiss harassed her directly—sending shirtless photos, inviting her to stay at his house in Carlsbad and referring to her as his “unicorn.” Her civil case is set for trial in August 2025.
In a separate case, Sgt. Patrick Leivas alleges he was retaliated against after supporting female officers, including Holzer, and after reporting the alleged cover-up to city officials and the FBI. His lawsuit claims he was surveilled on internal cameras, excluded from meetings, and passed over for promotions after blowing the whistle on what he believed to be serious misconduct. Leivas filed an amended complaint on March 7, 2025.
All three accounts—Martinez, Holzer, and Leivas—center on overlapping timelines, chain-of-command decisions, and efforts to suppress or ignore complaints tied to Reiss, who was placed on leave in early 2023 and later retired.
Martinez further alleges discrimination and retaliation after he advocated for an officer fluent in Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu who was denied bilingual pay because those languages were not listed in the city’s official policy.
During a city-sponsored diversity, equity and inclusion training, instructor Dr. Shindale Seale reportedly addressed the officer’s case and explained that withholding compensation in such cases could constitute “illegal and discriminatory conduct.”
According to the claim, shortly after that session, the city decided not to renew Dr. Seale’s contract. Martinez contends the decision was retaliatory and meant to suppress her warnings.
“It appears the City fired the DEI instructor after she represented at the meeting that the denial of bilingual pay was discriminatory,” the claim states.
Martinez said he submitted video evidence and documentation showing the officer had regularly interpreted in the field and received community praise, but the city refused to reconsider its stance.
Martinez claims that despite his qualifications and national reputation for community policing, he was passed over for the top job in favor of now-Chief Rachel Tolber, in what he believes was gender-based discrimination and retaliation.
At the time of the transition, Martinez was serving as deputy chief. Tolber, then a police commander overseeing the Special Services Bureau, was appointed interim chief on March 1, 2023, the same day Chief Chris Catren announced plans to retire due to a work-related back injury. She was later named permanent chief of police on June 12, 2023.
The claim describes Martinez as a “superior candidate” for interim chief based on his experience in crime reduction programs and community policing.
“He was not given the opportunity by the City Manager to become the interim chief of police simply because the City Manager retaliated against him for speaking out and performing his job duties and not covering up sexual misconduct and his reporting to the FBI,” the claim states.
The claim further alleges the city favored Tolber in part to signal reform amid ongoing sexual harassment lawsuits.
According to the claim, Martinez “believes that the City decided to choose a less qualified person like Tolber for the position because the city has had problems with sexual harassment allegations and lawsuits and that hiring a female chief shows they are resolving issues in the Department.”
Martinez further alleges that he was not given the opportunity to apply or interview for the position, stating, “this has never been the process in the past.”
California law requires individuals to file a public claim before suing a public agency. The City Council is reviewing this claim in closed session, as allowed under the Brown Act for potential litigation. Community Forward Redlands obtained the claim from the City Clerk’s Office, where it is available for public inspection.
The Council’s closed session on Tuesday may result in a denial, settlement offer or further internal review.
View full meeting agenda here.
5:00 p.m. Meeting open for public comment before closed session
6:00 p.m. Open Session
City Council Chambers
35 Cajon Street
Redlands, California
To join via Zoom on a computer, laptop, or smart device
Please visit www.zoom.us, click on Join a Meeting
Enter the Meeting ID 896 2789 8341, then run the Zoom launcher
To join via Zoom with audio only (cell phone or landline):
Dial 1-877-853-5247
Enter the Meeting ID 896 2789 8341
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
