COSTA MESA

A former city police officer has dropped her sexual harassment lawsuit against the department.

In a settlement reached last week, Nancy McAllister, who now works at the city jail as a custody officer, agreed to dismiss her claim in return for regaining seniority and lost vacation time, city officials said.

No money was paid to settle the claim by McAllister, who joined the department as a cadet and was fired in 1997--just two days before she would have completed her probationary period as a sworn police officer.

McAllister contended the firing was in retaliation for complaining about the behavior of male police officers. She was one of three female officers who jointly filed a sexual harassment lawsuit in November 1997. Kathy Sothard’s case was dismissed without trial in April. In May, a jury decided June Romine was not a victim of sexual harassment.