Sanger police commander resigns after accusation of sexually harassing officer
The Sanger police commander named in a sexual harassment lawsuit brought on by a former officer has resigned from the department.
Sanger Police Chief John Reynolds said Joshua Johnson resigned from the department on June 3.
According to Johnson’s LinkedIn account, he joined the Sanger Police Department in 2018 and previously worked for the Selma Police Department.
In October, Johnson and the City of Sanger were named in a lawsuit brought on by Agustin Villatoro, a former Sanger police officer.
Villatoro accused Johnson of sexually harassing him for about two years. Villatoro says he was placed on administrative leave for “concocted allegations” in October 2024 for not succumbing to Johnson’s alleged advances, per the lawsuit.
In February 2025, while Johnson was the acting chief of police, Villatoro was recommended for termination. According to his lawsuit, Villatoro then filed his sexual harassment complaint before being terminated in May 2025.
Villatoro is suing the City of Sanger for sexual harassment, retaliation, failure to prevent harassment, discrimination and violation of government code. He’s suing Johnson for sexual harassment and violation of government code.
According to records obtained by The Bee, Villatoro was fired for allegedly falsifying another officer’s use-of-force report.
In a motion filed last month, Villatoro’s attorney, Brett Rutkowski, accused the city of refusing to disclose whether Villatoro’s sexual harassment complaint led to any disciplinary action against Johnson.
Additionally, Rutkowski says the city won’t disclose whether Johnson was subjected to any internal affairs investigations.
Through his motion, Rutkowski is trying to get the City of Sanger to release officer records for both Villatoro and Johnson.
Additionally, Rutkowski wants records of internal sexual harassment, retaliation and discrimination complaints at the Sanger Police Department within the past 10 years — as well as records of officers who were disciplined over such complaints.
Earlier this year, The Bee filed a request for records of complaints and investigations against Johnson from October 2024 to the present. The City of Sanger said it didn’t have any records that were subject to disclosure.
This story was originally published June 9, 2026 at 9:42 AM with the headline "Sanger police commander resigns after accusation of sexually harassing officer."
