Olga Damascus TRO with BCCSD settled - 3/11/24

Bell Canyon, CA – On March 11, 2024, in the case of Bell Canyon Community Services District v. Olga
Damascus (LASC Case No. 23CHRO01288), the Court agreed to extend the duration of the Temporary
Restraining Order (“TRO”) issued against Ms. Damascus up to and through July 17, 2024. The agreement
to keep in place the TRO was entered into by both parties, and continues to protect District Board
Members Eric Wolf, Richard Levy, and Michael Robkin, and the District’s Interim General Manager, Greg
McHugh. The court also continued the hearing to July 18, 2024 and ordered the case to be dismissed at
that time.
The TRO was issued on July 18, 2023, based on an incident during a BCCSD Board Meeting on June 19,
2023 , where Ms. Damascus approached the District Board members and physically knocked a cell
phone off of the dais that was being used by Board Member Eric Wolf to videorecord Ms. Damascus due
to her behavior during the meeting. The TRO requires Ms. Damascus to stay at least 100 yards away
from all of the protected persons listed above (as well as their homes and vehicles), except when the
protected persons are at the District facilities, where Ms. Damascus must stay at least 10 feet away from
them. The hearing for the permanent restraining order was originally set for August 8, 2023, but it has
been continued several times.

Outcome of 1/10/24 Court Hearing

Bell Canyon, CA – On January 10, 2024, the Los Angeles County Superior Court
held a hearing on Olga Damascus’ Special Motion to Strike (also known as an
“Anti-SLAPP” Motion) the Bell Canyon Community Service District’s Workplace
Violence Restraining Order (“WVRO”) petition. The WVRO petition stems from
an incident at a District Board meeting on June 19, 2023, where Ms. Damascus
approached the dais of the Board of Directors and knocked a cell phone off of the
dais that Board Member Eric Wolf was using to video record Ms. Damascus and
the audience during the meeting. On July 18, 2023, the Court issued a
Temporary Restraining Order (“TRO”) against Ms. Damascus, which protects
District Board Members Eric Wolf, Richard Levy, and Michael Robkin, and the
District’s Interim General Manager, Greg McHugh. The TRO requires Ms.
Damascus to stay at least 100 yards away from all of the protected persons,
except when the protected persons are at the District facilities, where Ms.
Damascus must stay at least 10 feet away from them. The hearing for the
permanent restraining order was originally set for August 8, 2023, but it has been
continued three times with the TRO remaining in place.
At the January 10, 2024 hearing, the Court denied Ms. Damascus’ Anti-SLAPP
Motion due to her failure to demonstrate that the WVRO petition arose from an
act in the furtherance of her constitutional right of petition or right to free
speech. The hearing on the WVRO petition was continued to March 11, 2024,
with the TRO remaining in place.