Officer’s Suit Says She Was Raped, Then Fired : LAPD: She alleges that she was attacked by a superior and was discharged as part of a cover-up after reporting the incident.

A former Los Angeles police officer on Thursday filed a $20-million lawsuit against the LAPD, alleging that she was sexually assaulted by a superior and then fired for reporting the attack to the department’s Internal Affairs Division.

The lawsuit by Teri Lyons contends that Cmdr. Maurice Moore lured her to his house last March or April on the pretext of giving her advice, and then assaulted her. She reported the incident to Moore’s superior and the Internal Affairs Division but no action was taken, the suit says. Instead, Lyons contends, she was fired.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, said Police Chief Willie L. Williams, former Chief Daryl F. Gates, 15 superiors and 100 city employees were part of a conspiracy to cover up the incident.

Cmdr. David Gascon, a spokesman for Williams, said he had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment on pending litigation. Lyons’ lawyer, civil rights attorney Stephen Yagman, could not be reached.

Lyons seeks $10 million in general damages and $10 million in punitive damages.

The lawsuit describes the alleged attack in lurid detail, alleging that after she arrived at the house, Moore “forcibly threw (Lyons) upon the bed, pulled up her skirt” and proceeded to rape her. The lawsuit alleges that Moore told Lyons: “I am an old man, this will not take too long.”

Lyons said that when she reported the incident to Moore’s superior, she was told that “these things happen,” the lawsuit said.

The former officer said another of her superiors told her not to discuss the alleged rape. “Thereafter,” the lawsuit alleges, “(Lyons) was improperly removed from her duties as a Los Angeles police officer.”