Local News in Brief : $85,000 Awarded in English-Only Order
A bilingual Latina who was once ordered to speak only English while at work in a county courthouse received an $85,000 settlement as part of a 4-year-old ruling.
U.S. District Judge Richard Gadbois in 1985 revoked a decree by three Municipal Court judges requiring workers at the Southeast Municipal Court in Huntington Park to speak English only during working hours.
That order stemmed from a co-worker’s complaint that Alva Gutierrez, 33, of Maywood, a former deputy clerk and court interpreter, was speaking Spanish on the job. The co-worker, who was not bilingual, contended Gutierrez was gossiping about him.
“I feel great. It’s wonderful. Justice prevailed,” Gutierrez said after Gadbois on Monday approved an award to her of $85,000 in damages, attorneys’ fees and other costs.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
