PASADENA : Interim City Atty. OKd Over Richard’s Protest : Politics: Volatile councilman casts only vote against hiring of Cristina L. Sierra, a partner in a well-known L.A. law firm. Action is preceded by an angry back-room debate over the selection process.

After a fiery closed session that boiled over into name-calling, the Pasadena City Council has chosen Cristina L. Sierra, a partner in a prominent Los Angeles law firm, as the interim replacement for its ousted city attorney.

In the public session last week, council members voted 6 to 1, with Councilman Isaac Richard dissenting, to hire Sierra and pay her firm of Adams, Duque & Hazeltine $15,000 a month after an explosive back-room debate over the selection process.

Sierra was hired after allegations of sex discrimination led to the forced resignation of previous City Atty. Victor Kaleta.

“I want to extend my thanks to the City Council for giving me the opportunity to work for the city of Pasadena,” said Sierra, 37. “It will be a challenge. But I think we’ll have a great working relationship.”

Within seconds of her speech, Sierra got a baptism by fire as Richard brought the closed session argument into the public arena. Even though Sierra is a Latina, Richard accused his colleagues of not considering affirmative action and including Latino and African American-owned law firms on a short list from which the interim city attorney was selected.

“No matter how qualified Ms. Sierra is, we can’t get away from the fact she works for a white firm,” Richard said. “Isn’t it a pity her selection was tainted by the fact she didn’t compete against minority firms?”

In the closed session, Richard could be heard insulting Councilman Chris Holden, who is also African American, for not taking his side on the issue. At one point, profanity was clearly heard before Mayor Kathryn Nack screamed at Richard to restrain himself.

Sierra was recommended by a special council committee consisting of Holden and Councilmen William R. Thomson Jr. and William Crowfoot.

Crowfoot, an attorney in a Los Angeles law firm, said the selection will encourage more large, mostly white, law firms to hire and promote minorities, which he said is just as important as the creation of minority-owned firms.

Thomson, who is also an attorney, said the committee interviewed attorneys Aug. 20 from three of the best-known municipal law firms selected by a consultant and were unanimous in their selection of Sierra.

Kaleta was forced to take early retirement Aug. 17 after an April investigation bolstered the claims of female attorneys in his office that he had discriminated against women in making promotions. Kaleta has denied the allegations.

Kaleta, 55, who earned $110,894 a year, will stay on the city payroll until March 8, when he officially retires. A nationwide search is under way to fill the position permanently.