Zine urges reforms to prevent harassment

To reduce harassment lawsuits brought by city workers, Los Angeles Councilman Dennis Zine said Monday that he wants to institute reforms that fix problems when City Hall is criticized for the way employees are treated.

The idea has one prominent supporter: City Atty. Rocky Delgadillo, who said he has been calling for such preemptive action for years.

Zine said he would ask his colleagues at today’s council meeting to establish a risk-management program. Both he and Delgadillo said they were motivated in part by the case of Tennie Pierce, a black firefighter who sued the city charging racial discrimination and harassment.

During a firehouse meal in 2004, Pierce was tricked by several white firefighters into eating a spaghetti dinner laced with dog food. He contended that it was a racist act, but top fire officials considered it a prank. The incident occurred after previous audits of the Fire Department found that employee harassment was a persistent issue.

“I’ve asked for this the past five years,” Delgadillo said. “I believe in the end this will save us an immense amount of taxpayer dollars to prevent these cases from occurring in the first place, because when we get the cases, it’s too late at that point -- we’re simply in a defense posture.”

Delgadillo wants the unit placed under his control. Zine said he had not reached a decision on who should be in charge, although he said he was aware of Delgadillo’s interest.

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steve.hymon@latimes.com