HUNTINGTON BEACH : 2 Officers’ Suit Against Activists Dismissed

A lawsuit filed by two police officers against the director and members of a community activist group has been dismissed by a Superior Court judge.

Police Sgt. Lloyd Edwards and jail detention officer Howard Subnick filed a lawsuit last year against Citizens’ Bureau of Investigation after members of the group, which has been critical of police salaries and city employee retirement perks, filed an administrative complaint in August.

In that complaint, filed with the Police Department, CBI alleged that officers had made disparaging remarks about the group at a City Council meeting.

Police Chief Ronald E. Lowenberg rejected the complaint, saying that there was no officer misconduct and that the complaint was unfounded.

Judge Randell L. Wilkinson on May 25 granted CBI’s request to dismiss the suit on grounds that the officers’ lawsuit was retaliatory.

Bill Mello, director of CBI, characterized it as “a strategic lawsuit against public participation.”

“What they were trying to do is shut CBI up,” Mello said. “They were just trying to stifle any complaints against them. . . . They want to stop us from going down to City Hall and talk about pension-spiking, salaries and other wasteful acts of government.”

Subnick, who declined Wednesday to comment on the case, said that the judge’s decision will be appealed.