The Region - News from Nov. 20, 1986

A Los Angeles federal judge declined to immediately reinstate fired city zoo director Warren D. Thomas, deciding instead to accede to the request of the city attorney’s office for more time to prepare its position. U.S. District Judge William J. Rea had been asked by lawyers for Thomas to put him back in his post after an independent citizens tribunal found that Thomas should not have been fired in June. Rea ordered hearings to resume Dec. 1. Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Department of Recreation and Parks said the department’s board will be presented with the tribunal’s report at its regular meeting Friday. The tribunal, created by the board upon Rea’s order, found that Thomas should have been suspended without pay for 20 days, rather than fired for various improprieties and management failures.