The Region - News from Oct. 31, 1985

In a 2-1 decision, a federal appeals court reinstated a lawsuit by an Altadena woman who wants to become the first black female police officer in Monrovia. Kathryn Lowe, 40, sued the San Gabriel Valley city in 1982, after it failed to hire her as a police officer although she was on the city’s eligibility list for hiring. Former U.S. District Judge Cynthia Holcomb Hall threw out the suit, ruling that Lowe had not established a prima facie case of discrimination. A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, however, reversed Hall’s ruling, deciding that Lowe had indeed established a prima facie case “of disparate treatment on the basis of race.” Lowe contended that during her interview, a city personnel official made a point of telling her that Monrovia had no women or blacks on its police force. The official then encouraged her to apply in Los Angeles because that city was “literally begging for minorities and especially women,” Lowe said. Monrovia city officials declined comment on the ruling.