Trial is expected to begin in Orange County Superior Court Monday in the case of a former Newport Beach police dispatcher who said she was sexually harassed by the city’s police chief and wrongfully terminated.

Christine Hougan’s case is one of a string of lawsuits filed by employees against the embattled Newport Beach Police Department in recent years. Her husband, John Hougan, a former police sergeant, has also filed a wrongful-termination lawsuit against the department alleging retaliation for whistle-blowing. His trial is expected to begin in March.

In her lawsuit filed against the city and Police Department in April 2013, Christine Hougan said Newport Beach police Chief Jay Johnson made inappropriate comments and used his position of authority to intimidate her after her husband testified against the department in a separate case.

According to the complaint, Johnson sat so close to Hougan that she could “feel his breath on the back of her neck,” and on more than one occasion he told her, “I like you. I really like you.”

Christine Hougan said she was fired in 2012 for “behavioral issues” but was actually terminated because of her husband’s whistle-blowing on police misconduct.

John Hougan testified against the department in a lawsuit filed by former police officer Neil Harvey, who alleged he had faced harassment and retaliation because people believed he was gay.

Harvey was awarded more than $700,000 after a jury ruled in his favor in 2009.

John Hougan was later fired for improper computer use and dishonesty, city officials said. In court filings, the city’s lawyers suggest John Hougan viewed sexual content on his computer while on duty.

Johnson, who joined the department as chief of police in 2010, has called Christine Hougan’s allegations “completely false.”

Pretrial motions are set to begin Monday, with opening statements expected to begin late Tuesday or Wednesday, said Hougan’s attorney, Melanie Savarese.

Last year, the city paid a total of $525,000 in settlements for three former Newport Beach police officers who alleged that they were retaliated against for reporting unfair promotion practices.

Another wrongful-termination case is pending in federal court. In that case, former Newport Beach Police Department parking officer Zachary McEligot alleges that he was fired after blowing the whistle on police commanders who took free perks from the Island Hotel in exchange for ignoring parking violations and easing licensing requirements for the hotel’s massage therapists.

Contact the writer: kpuente@ocregister.com