SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA / A news summary : The Local Review / DEVELOPMENTS IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Judge Certifies Class-Action Suit by 119 Ex-MTA Officers
A Superior Court judge on Thursday certified a class-action lawsuit by 119 former Metropolitan Transportation Authority officers, who allege that their seniority and qualifications were overlooked when they started working for the Sheriff’s Department.
The MTA’s police force was merged into the Sheriff’s Department and the Los Angeles Police Department in 1997. Officers who chose to become deputies allege they have been treated like “new hires,” which violates the terms of the merger, said the plaintiffs’ attorney, Erik Gunderson.
Although MTA officers are trained for public transit patrol, once they went to work as deputies they were assigned to courthouses and jails, Gunderson said.
“They are being treated like second-class citizens,” Gunderson said. “My guys are sick of it.”
The lawsuit also alleges that the department has diverted money allocated for policing the public transit system, which includes buses and the Metrorail. As a result, fewer officers are on patrol, the suit says.
The suit was filed last October on behalf of three former MTA officers and the class of 119 was certified Thursday by Superior Court Judge Edward Ferns.
Sheriff’s officials declined to comment, saying they do not discuss pending litigation.
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