Local News in Brief : Officer in School Drug Cases Fights Dismissal

A policewoman accused of having a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old student during an undercover drug investigation at a Granada Hills high school is fighting her dismissal from the force, police said Monday.

At the woman’s request, she will present her case before a Police Department hearing officer within the next 10 days, Cmdr. William D. Booth said.

The hearing officer can recommend that Police Chief Daryl F. Gates reconsider his decision to fire the policewoman, whose name and age have not been disclosed, Booth said. Gates’ decision of whether to heed such a recommendation would then be final, he said.

Gates decided last month to fire the officer because her relationship with the student, a varsity football player at Kennedy High School, was “very severe misconduct,” Booth had said.

The undercover officer’s actions resulted in the dismissal of cases against nine suspected drug dealers arrested last fall in a police “school buy” investigation at Kennedy, authorities said.

The fired officer has the option of closing the administrative hearing to the public, but police had not been informed of her preference Monday, Booth said.