City to Pay Lawyer Fees in LAPD Bias Case

Under orders from a federal judge, the Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to pay $1.7 million to the attorneys of 28 Los Angeles Police Department employees who allege they were subjected to discrimination, sexual harassment and retaliation while serving on the force.

The council voted 10 to 0 to comply with U.S. District Judge Terry Hatter’s order requiring the city to pay legal fees in the so-called Tipton-Whittingham lawsuit. The suit prompted Chief Bernard C. Parks in 1998 to adopt a lengthy list of reforms aimed at ensuring that all officers, regardless of gender, race or sexual orientation, are treated equally by the LAPD.

Although the case is far from closed, Hatter found that the team of attorneys--led by Carol Sobel, Constance Rice and Barret S. Litt--were entitled to receive compensation from the city for the six years they have spent litigating the matter.

Yet to be determined is whether the plaintiffs will receive compensation for damages. Sobel, who was working for the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California when the case was filed, said six related cases still are pending. Two of them have trial dates scheduled for February and March; one was settled by the City Council last month for $175,000.

The 1994 Tipton-Whittingham case, which was considered one of the most ambitious gender-based lawsuits ever filed against a police department, alleged that female officers who complained about sexual harassment were subjected to death threats and left stranded without backup in emergencies.

LAPD detective Terry Tipton-Whittingham, the lead plaintiff on the case, said she was subjected to racist remarks, sexist comments and even pranks. In one instance, a fellow officer grabbed her while others watched and laughed.

In her suit, she sought widespread changes in the way the department deals with racial and gender issues. She also sought changes in the department’s hiring and promotion practices.

After four years of negotiations, Parks implemented a variety of reforms, including establishing a conflict resolution and mediation program through the department’s ombudsman and offering classes addressing discrimination, harassment and retaliation issues. The Police Commission, meanwhile, also put in place a special unit to investigate allegations of discrimination.

Sobel said she believes the environment for women in the LAPD has improved in the lawsuit’s wake.

“There are a couple of things that have made the environment better for women,” Sobel said. “A lot of the old-timers who engaged in that sort of conduct are gone. There are more women in patrol and more women on the command staff.”

However, Sobel said she remains cautious.

“We are always watching,” she said.

Council members--who voted two weeks ago to enter into a consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice to force police reforms--said they, too, are tracking the department’s progress.

“It’s critical we rid the Police Department of any vestige of sexual harassment,” Councilman Mike Feuer said. “We need to be vigilant in looking at this issue to assure that the department succeeds. . . . We want to increase the number of women on the police force.”

Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg said she remains skeptical whether the department can stamp out the problem.

“This has been a long standing issue,” Goldberg said. “They’re telling us this is a thing of the past, that they’ve cleaned up their act. I would like to believe that.”