Ex-Clerk Sues Costa Mesa Over Dismissal

A former records clerk at Costa Mesa City Hall has sued the city, claiming that she was fired last year without cause after she spurned advances by city police officers.

Sheryn Nichols, now a resident of Riverside, also claims in her suit filed in federal court in Santa Ana late Tuesday that her work was never evaluated before she was fired during a surprise meeting with her supervisor.

Nichols, 24, began work as a part-time records clerk for the city in November, 1983, and shortly thereafter was promoted to full-time status.

In her suit, she alleges that during her employment several police officers made advances toward her and that one repeatedly attempted to kiss her in front of her co-workers. The suit also claims that city officials appeared “to condone” the behavior of the police officers toward female employees.

Asks for Jury

Nichols, who asked that a jury decide her case, also claims that one police officer was allowed to obtain her unlisted home telephone number from her confidential personnel file and that he called her at home asking for a date.

Nichols said her supervisor gave her no reason for her firing on April 19, 1984, telling her only that “you are a pretty girl who should be working somewhere else.”

Costa Mesa City Atty. Tom Wood said Wednesday that he had not received a copy of Nichols’ lawsuit and would not comment.

Nichols’ attorney, Naveed Alam, said the suit does not ask for specific damages.

“But that’s not the most important thing. What she wants is vindication more than anything else,” Alam said. “She was fired for no reason at all. She was a good worker. That’s why they promoted her from part-time to full-time (status).

“But she’s a very pretty young woman, and some of the police officers were trying to date her. She did nothing wrong.”

The attorney also said that the city is required to give periodic evaluations to its employees and that, since Nichols was never given a proper evaluation by her superiors, she should not have been fired without some type of warning.

“She was never evaluated, so she couldn’t have been fired, especially when she was doing a good job,” Alam said. “The entire situation was very bad on her, and it left her emotionally drained.”