Riverside water company staff testify for restraining order against potential shareholder

Four employees of Riverside’s Gage Canal Company, which distributes water, testified Aug. 22 that Jason Hunter caused them anxiety and fear during his attempts to join the company’s Board of Directors, and that they needed a workplace restraining order against Hunter.

Hunter is a frequent commenter at Riverside city council meetings, the chairperson of Riverside’s Neighbors Better Together, and a whistleblower in the corruption case of former Riverside Public Utilities General Manager David Wright. He says that the workplace violence restraining order is a poor attempt to discourage him from joining the board and looking into the company’s business practices. Four staff members testified for the restraining order. By next Friday, two Gage Canal board members and two shareholders will have testified in opposition.

The company obtained the temporary workplace restraining order against Hunter on March 27. Riverside Superior Judge Daniel Ottolia will rule on whether to keep the restraining order after hearing the testimony of Hunter’s remaining witnesses on Aug. 29.