Jury rejects Burbank police officer’s lawsuit

A Los Angeles County Superior Court jury on Monday rejected a lawsuit filed by a female Burbank police officer who claims she faced discrimination because of her pregnancy, and then retaliation when she complained, a city official said.

The verdict came days after a judge threw out portions of the original lawsuit filed by Officer Cindy Guillen, including that she faced harassment based on her ethnicity and gender.

Her attorney, Solomon Gresen, had sought up to $500,000 for pain and suffering, and $30,000 for lost wages due a lost assignment, but on Monday, the jury sided with the city, which painted Guillen in court as someone who holds grudges and was capitalizing on the Police Department’s recent legal woes.

Defense attorneys had also argued that Guillen was not treated any differently after she became pregnant.

Burbank City Atty. Amy Albano could not immediately be reached for comment, nor could Gresen.

Gresen told City News Service that he feared his client would face even more retaliation back at the department as a result of the jury verdict.

-- Jason Wells and Maria Hsin, Times Community News

Twitter: @mariahsin