Inglewood Officer Alleging Bias in Promotions Loses in Court

A federal judge ruled Friday that a veteran Inglewood police lieutenant who is the department’s highest-ranking Latino was not discriminated against when he was repeatedly denied promotion to captain.

U.S. District Judge A. Andrew Hauk said Lt. David Garza Jr. failed to present sufficient evidence of discrimination. In fact, the judge said, the attitude of Inglewood officials he heard testify in the three-day trial was “one of respect for minorities. . . . I was astounded by the broadness of their view against discrimination.”

Garza’s attorney, Laurence Labovitz, said he would appeal the ruling.

Garza, 54, joined the department in 1960 and rose to lieutenant nine years later. He sued under federal civil rights laws in 1987 after being turned down for promotion four times since 1973. Since the suit was filed, he was turned down two more times.

In 1988, Hauk had dismissed Garza’s lawsuit as “poppycock,” but the Court of Appeals later ordered the judge to reconsider the suit. Garza had asked the court to order his promotion to captain and to award him back pay and benefits due the higher rank.

Inglewood, which has a population that is 50% black and 38% Latino, has a black chief and deputy chief running the Police Department. Besides Garza, there is one Latino sergeant in the administrative ranks.

“This is not a case about racial slurs and epithets,” Labovitz said in court. “That is not how it works in management. The discrimination is more subtle and less overt.”

City and police officials maintained throughout the trial that they promote the most qualified candidates, regardless of race.