Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyer Blog

A black police officer who joined the ranks of the Los Angeles Police Department in the late 1980s has won a $1.2 million verdict, after a jury found he was harassed on the basis of his race.

Our Los Angeles Sexual Assault Lawyers know that it took a great deal of courage for this 25-year veteran to speak out about the humiliation and mistreatment he suffered from his supervisor and colleagues.

This verdict is the latest in a string of judgments and settlements against the agency, which has faced dozens of allegations of cop-on-cop harassment, discrimination and retaliation. One after another, these cases have revealed an inherent ineptitude on the part of the department's administration to properly address these complaints when they are first made and appropriately discipline those responsible.

In fact, this verdict was the second seven-figure judgment the city had to pay in a week. Another claim involved two lesbian police officers, one of whom already retired, who had suffered for years with the sexual harassment of their supervisor.

In the case involving racial discrimination, the officer alleged he had endured the abuse for years. One example given at trial was when he requested to leave work early one day. His supervisor responded if his reasoning had to do with his needing to "go pick watermelons."

In another instance, he claimed, his supervisor brought in a cake to celebrate the officer's two decades of service. The cake was topped with a slice of watermelon and a piece of fried chicken.

Other officers testified that the plaintiff had laughed along with everyone else, even going so far as to eat a bite of the chicken cake-topper. However, people who are embarrassed, in shock and on the spot might not always verbally express their true feelings right at that moment.

A lieutenant for the department testified that the plaintiff was a willing participant in the ongoing, inappropriate racially vulgar banter. The jury disagreed.

The verdict followed the department's own internal investigation, which had resulted in a number of supervisors being either reassigned, demoted or terminated. Initially, the city offered to settle the case for $10,000. The plaintiff's attorney rejected that offer, instead suggesting a payment of $400,000, which the city rejected. Now it will be paying three times that amount.

Employees are protected from racial discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which applies to private employers as well as those in the federal, state and local governments, employment agencies and labor organizations.

Racial harassment may include derogatory or offensive remarks about a person's skin color or race, a display of racially-offensive symbols or racial slurs. Although the law doesn't specifically forbid simple teasing or an isolated, offhand comment, it may be considered harassment if it's severe or continues for some time.

The city's police chief said his agency had taken what was learned in this most recent action to heart in stepping up its efforts to create a working environment that lacks hostility.

Time will tell.