ORANGE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE : Another Big Harassment Settlement

Cypress has become the latest Orange County city to pay tens of thousands of dollars to settle a sexual-harassment lawsuit by a female police officer. The case, which continues a disturbing trend, should put all police departments on notice that they must increase efforts to prevent the incidents that lead to such suits.

Cypress will pay $60,000 to Sgt. Sandra D. Stanton, the city’s first female sergeant, who agreed to resign from the force. The city will not contest her medical disability claims, so she will receive half of her $58,000 annual salary for the rest of her life.

City officials contended that Cypress was settling only because continuing the lawsuit would be too expensive. Given lawyers’ fees and the uncertainty of jury verdicts, that may be true. The city continues to deny it did anything wrong.

The sergeant, on leave since May, 1992, said in her lawsuit that her ex-husband--who was both a police lieutenant and her supervisor--and other officers taunted her with a photo of a scantily clad model. She said her uniform pockets were stapled shut and glass shards were dumped in her desk. All of those accused denied wrongdoing.

However, the police chief told the mayor several years ago that someone had tampered with Stanton’s personal property and that he had warned every sergeant in the department against such behavior. So there was reason to believe that someone had singled out Stanton.

The Cypress settlement comes a month after Newport Beach paid $175,000 to two of 10 women employees of the Police Department who filed harassment lawsuits against that city, a former police chief and a former police captain. Similar lawsuits are pending in Irvine and San Clemente.

Last year Garden Grove paid a $180,000 settlement to a fired reserve police officer who said she was dismissed because she ended a romantic relationship with the then-police chief.

In 1992 Buena Park lost two sexual-harassment lawsuits and paid out more than $200,000.

Many cities in Orange County instituted policies barring sexual harassment in the 1980s. They must do a better job of implementing these policies and holding the departments’ top brass responsible.

Community residents expect police officers to show respect and sensitivity. To ensure a public perception of fairness in dealing with our diverse society, police departments must accept a diverse work force inside the station house as well.