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POLICE LIEUTENANT'S DISCRIMINATION TRIAL BEGINS
Glendale News Press, CA
Nov 20 2013
Attorneys open with opposing perspectives on suit claiming
discrimination against Armenians.
By Veronica Rocha, [email protected]
November 20, 2013 | 10:59 a.m.
An alleged lack of promotion and diversity in supervisory positions
within the Glendale Police Department signaled the "good old boys
were alive and well in Glendale," Lt. Tigran Topadzhikyan's attorney
told jurors Tuesday as the trial in his federal discrimination lawsuit
got underway.
Topadzhikyan, who claims he was often passed over for promotions
because he is Armenian, was unfairly subjected to internal
investigations despite being harassed and threatened, his attorney
Bradley Gage said during his opening statement in the U.S. District
Court in Riverside.
The repeated investigations of Topadzhikyan, he said, demonstrated
to others that the "good old boys" would enforce "a code of silence."
The Police Department, his attorney said, had a "history of
discriminatory treatment" and harassment.
Topadzhikyan is one of five Armenian-American Glendale police officers
who are suing the city for alleged discrimination and harassment.
Former Glendale Police Randy Adams, current Police Chief Ron De Pompa
and Capt. Mike Rock, who were individually named as defendants in the
lawsuit, sat and faced jurors in court on Tuesday as both sides laid
out their cases.
Topadzhikyan, along with Officers Vahak Mardikian, Robert Parseghian,
John Balian and Benny Simonzad, filed a joint lawsuit in 2010 against
the Glendale Police Department and the city, claiming discrimination
and retaliation because they're Armenian.
In 2012, Mardikian, Balian and Topadzhikyan filed a separate
discrimination lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court. That
case has been delayed because of the ongoing federal case.
After repeated attempts to get promoted, Topadzhikyan came out on
top of a list to become a lieutenant.
He was promoted last Wednesday - a move Topadzhikyan's attorney
pointed out came just days before his trial started.
Still, his attorney said Topadzhikyan had to struggle for years
to get promoted within the department and was often passed up for
"white males."
The alleged harassment, his attorney said, has left Topadzhikyan
broken.
But attorney Dana McCune, representing the Police Department and
the city, argued in his opening statement that Topadzhikyan wasn't
unfairly passed up for promotion because he's Armenian.
McCune said Topadzhikyan was encouraged by Adams and De Pompa to
"study hard" when he didn't pass a sergeant's promotion test in 2009.
Eventually, he did pass the test.
"You don't always get what you want and you don't always get it when
you want it," he said.
And while Topadzhikyan had been the subject of internal investigations,
McCune said he praised the Police Department and Adams in interviews.
During Adams' time as chief, his attorney said he reached out to
Armenian TV and radio in an effort to hire more Armenian officers.
McCune claimed many derogatory statements will come out in trial that
Topadzhikyan didn't directly hear.
When a discriminatory statement or action was made, McCune said De
Pompa and Adams handled it.
Testimony is expected to continue on Wednesday.
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-police-lieutenants-discrimination-trial-begins-20131120,0,468913.story
Glendale News Press, CA
Nov 20 2013
Attorneys open with opposing perspectives on suit claiming
discrimination against Armenians.
By Veronica Rocha, [email protected]
November 20, 2013 | 10:59 a.m.
An alleged lack of promotion and diversity in supervisory positions
within the Glendale Police Department signaled the "good old boys
were alive and well in Glendale," Lt. Tigran Topadzhikyan's attorney
told jurors Tuesday as the trial in his federal discrimination lawsuit
got underway.
Topadzhikyan, who claims he was often passed over for promotions
because he is Armenian, was unfairly subjected to internal
investigations despite being harassed and threatened, his attorney
Bradley Gage said during his opening statement in the U.S. District
Court in Riverside.
The repeated investigations of Topadzhikyan, he said, demonstrated
to others that the "good old boys" would enforce "a code of silence."
The Police Department, his attorney said, had a "history of
discriminatory treatment" and harassment.
Topadzhikyan is one of five Armenian-American Glendale police officers
who are suing the city for alleged discrimination and harassment.
Former Glendale Police Randy Adams, current Police Chief Ron De Pompa
and Capt. Mike Rock, who were individually named as defendants in the
lawsuit, sat and faced jurors in court on Tuesday as both sides laid
out their cases.
Topadzhikyan, along with Officers Vahak Mardikian, Robert Parseghian,
John Balian and Benny Simonzad, filed a joint lawsuit in 2010 against
the Glendale Police Department and the city, claiming discrimination
and retaliation because they're Armenian.
In 2012, Mardikian, Balian and Topadzhikyan filed a separate
discrimination lawsuit in Los Angeles County Superior Court. That
case has been delayed because of the ongoing federal case.
After repeated attempts to get promoted, Topadzhikyan came out on
top of a list to become a lieutenant.
He was promoted last Wednesday - a move Topadzhikyan's attorney
pointed out came just days before his trial started.
Still, his attorney said Topadzhikyan had to struggle for years
to get promoted within the department and was often passed up for
"white males."
The alleged harassment, his attorney said, has left Topadzhikyan
broken.
But attorney Dana McCune, representing the Police Department and
the city, argued in his opening statement that Topadzhikyan wasn't
unfairly passed up for promotion because he's Armenian.
McCune said Topadzhikyan was encouraged by Adams and De Pompa to
"study hard" when he didn't pass a sergeant's promotion test in 2009.
Eventually, he did pass the test.
"You don't always get what you want and you don't always get it when
you want it," he said.
And while Topadzhikyan had been the subject of internal investigations,
McCune said he praised the Police Department and Adams in interviews.
During Adams' time as chief, his attorney said he reached out to
Armenian TV and radio in an effort to hire more Armenian officers.
McCune claimed many derogatory statements will come out in trial that
Topadzhikyan didn't directly hear.
When a discriminatory statement or action was made, McCune said De
Pompa and Adams handled it.
Testimony is expected to continue on Wednesday.
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-gnp-police-lieutenants-discrimination-trial-begins-20131120,0,468913.story