Tweet
ARMENIAN-AMERICAN POLICE DETECTIVE AWARDED $150K IN DISCRIMINATION CASE
epress.am
04.06.2012
A jury on Thursday awarded an Armenian American police detective
$150,000 for claims that he faced on-the-job discrimination and
harassment because of his ethnicity, his attorney said, the Glendale
News-Press reports.
The detective who filed the lawsuit, Steve Karagiosian, testified
in Los Angeles County Superior Court that detectives and sergeants
in the police department regularly used derogative terms - such as
"towel heads" - in referring to Armenians.
The decision comes two weeks after a jury awarded former Burbank
Police Deputy Chief William Taylor nearly $1.3 million based on
claims that he was fired in retaliation for refusing to sign off on
the terminations of minority officers and for raising concerns about
how a sexual harassment incident was being handled.
"The Burbank Police Department has been proven to have ethnic
harassment within its department," said Karagiosian's attorney,
Solomon Gresen, after the jury's verdict came in. "Det. Karagiosian had
complained for years and the jury's verdict should demonstrate to the
city that this is a problem that needs to be immediately addressed."
Named "Officer of the Year" in 2007, Karagiosian is still employed
with the department. The lawsuit, Gresen said, was not about economic
damages.
And even with the jury coming down on his side, Gresen said his client
feared the verdict would create a whole new set of problems back at
the department.
"Mr. Karagiosian is gratified that the jury found in his favor, but
fears retaliation from the city attorney's office and the Burbank
Police Department," Gresen said.
While the jury must still make determinations on more specific
questions, Burbank City Atty. Amy Albano said the city was disappointed
with the verdict.
"What was interesting in the verdict, is that the amount awarded was
reduced," Albano said, noting that the amount was lower that than
the suggested $225,000 because the jury felt Karagiosian could have
avoided some of the damages because some of the incidents were not
reported to the city.
"The city takes issues of harassment very seriously," Albano said.
"When we are informed, we take appropriate action. That was done in
this case. If not informed about an issue of harassment, the city is
not able to take an action."
Jurors deliberated Karagiosian's case for about a day before delivering
a verdict.
"I think it's appalling the city has spent millions of dollars in
defense costs to deny these claims when they could've spent far less
in training and dispute resolution and they would have already fixed
the problem," Gresen said.
"We didn't ask for $25 million," Gresen added. "Why is the city
spending millions to defeat a $225,000 claim? It's a horrible use of
taxpayers' money."
Karagiosian was one of five former and current officers in the
lawsuit. The part of the case involving Officer Cindy Guillen is
expected to start May 2.
The three other officers were dropped from the lawsuit, although
there is a separate case pending in federal court.
epress.am
04.06.2012
A jury on Thursday awarded an Armenian American police detective
$150,000 for claims that he faced on-the-job discrimination and
harassment because of his ethnicity, his attorney said, the Glendale
News-Press reports.
The detective who filed the lawsuit, Steve Karagiosian, testified
in Los Angeles County Superior Court that detectives and sergeants
in the police department regularly used derogative terms - such as
"towel heads" - in referring to Armenians.
The decision comes two weeks after a jury awarded former Burbank
Police Deputy Chief William Taylor nearly $1.3 million based on
claims that he was fired in retaliation for refusing to sign off on
the terminations of minority officers and for raising concerns about
how a sexual harassment incident was being handled.
"The Burbank Police Department has been proven to have ethnic
harassment within its department," said Karagiosian's attorney,
Solomon Gresen, after the jury's verdict came in. "Det. Karagiosian had
complained for years and the jury's verdict should demonstrate to the
city that this is a problem that needs to be immediately addressed."
Named "Officer of the Year" in 2007, Karagiosian is still employed
with the department. The lawsuit, Gresen said, was not about economic
damages.
And even with the jury coming down on his side, Gresen said his client
feared the verdict would create a whole new set of problems back at
the department.
"Mr. Karagiosian is gratified that the jury found in his favor, but
fears retaliation from the city attorney's office and the Burbank
Police Department," Gresen said.
While the jury must still make determinations on more specific
questions, Burbank City Atty. Amy Albano said the city was disappointed
with the verdict.
"What was interesting in the verdict, is that the amount awarded was
reduced," Albano said, noting that the amount was lower that than
the suggested $225,000 because the jury felt Karagiosian could have
avoided some of the damages because some of the incidents were not
reported to the city.
"The city takes issues of harassment very seriously," Albano said.
"When we are informed, we take appropriate action. That was done in
this case. If not informed about an issue of harassment, the city is
not able to take an action."
Jurors deliberated Karagiosian's case for about a day before delivering
a verdict.
"I think it's appalling the city has spent millions of dollars in
defense costs to deny these claims when they could've spent far less
in training and dispute resolution and they would have already fixed
the problem," Gresen said.
"We didn't ask for $25 million," Gresen added. "Why is the city
spending millions to defeat a $225,000 claim? It's a horrible use of
taxpayers' money."
Karagiosian was one of five former and current officers in the
lawsuit. The part of the case involving Officer Cindy Guillen is
expected to start May 2.
The three other officers were dropped from the lawsuit, although
there is a separate case pending in federal court.