Sheriff’s Lieutenant Alleges That Demotion Was A Case of Racial Discrimination

Employment discrimination can mean that an employer avoids hiring candidates of a certain race, even if the job listings state that the employer, pursuant to employment laws, does not discriminate on the basis of race or any other characteristic, such as age, sex, religion, or family status.  Discrimination can also take other forms, too.  Sometimes it only begins once you start your job.  Perhaps your supervisor makes derogatory comments about people of your race, with or without mentioning you specifically.  It can also be discrimination if the employer assigns you and other people of the same race to undesirable tasks and denies your requests for raises and promotions, while providing flimsy excuses for why the employer is doing this.  If your employer has treated you unfairly because of your race or another protected characteristic, contact a Los Angeles discrimination and harassment lawyer.

Undersheriff’s Executive Aide for a Day

A Black employee of a sheriff’s department has filed a lawsuit against the department, alleging racial discrimination, retaliation, and failure to prevent harassment, discrimination, or retaliation.  The plaintiff has worked for the sheriff’s department for a long time.  His duties have included community-oriented policing, custody, and patrol duty.  After his promotion to lieutenant, he was tasked with planning the department’s operations during major events in its jurisdiction.  The sheriff in the department where the plaintiff is employed has drawn criticism for public comments he has made about African-Americans in his department and in his community, and he has allegedly made no attempt to veil his effort to reduce the percentage of Black employees in the department.

In early 2021, the undersheriff of the department chose the plaintiff for the role of executive aide, a highly sought-after position which can lead to even more promotions.  The undersheriff apparently made this decision singlehandedly and not by direction from the sheriff.  Two days later, the sheriff saw the undersheriff and the plaintiff working together and expressed surprise that the plaintiff was the new executive aide that the undersheriff chose.  The sheriff asked to speak to the undersheriff privately.  Two days later, the undersheriff told the plaintiff that he was being demoted, and that this was not by the undersheriff’s choice.

The executive aide chosen to replace the plaintiff was not Black and had less experience than the plaintiff.  After receiving the demotion from the position of executive aide, the plaintiff applied for several other promotions but did not receive any of them.  The candidates chosen for these promotions were also not Black and had less relevant experience than the plaintiff.

Speak With a Los Angeles Employment Discrimination Lawyer

It can still be discrimination even if you did not get fired.  A Los Angeles employment discrimination lawyer can help you if your employer has exhibited a pattern of refusing to grant promotions to employees with a certain protected characteristic.  Contact Litigation, P.C. in Los Angeles, California to discuss your situation or call (424)284-2401.

Source:

heysocal.com/2022/11/02/black-lasd-lieutenant-says-villanueva-demoted-him-2-days-after-promotion/