Jury Rejects Claims of Sex Harassment, Wrongful Firing

An Orange County Superior Court jury took less than two hours Wednesday to reject a wrongful termination and sexual harassment suit filed by a former Santa Ana Fire Department employee, officials said.

The jury sided 10 to 2 with the city against Karen McCoy, a former fire training coordinator who worked with the Fire Department about six months before being fired in November, 1986, for poor performance, Assistant City Atty. Robert J. Wheeler said.

“I’m elated by the jury’s verdict and strongly feel justice has been done,” Wheeler said. “We never discriminated, we never harassed her and we never retaliated against her.”

McCoy and her attorney could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

McCoy filed suit against the city in 1987. An arbitrator indicated McCoy should be awarded $80,000, and a jury later awarded her $86,000 in damages, Wheeler said. The city successfully argued for a new trial, which ended Wednesday.

McCoy alleged that she was ostracized by three male co-workers who undermined her work, and that when she complained she was fired, Wheeler said. McCoy was asking for more than $390,000 in lost wages and damages. She alleged sexual discrimination, harassment, retaliatory firing and failure to take remedial action to stop sex discrimination, he said.