Judge May Try LAX Police Discrimination Suit

A judge said today he is inclined to toss the claims of two white former LAX police officers who allege they were disciplined more harshly than minority lawmen, but allow the case of a third white department member to go to a jury.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge John Segal heard arguments on a motion by lawyers for the city of Los Angeles to dismiss the entire suit brought by officers Edward Corrington and Arthur Juliano, who were fired, and Jeff Shelton, who remains a member of the Los Angeles World Airports police force.

In his 14-page tentative decision, Segal said he believes there are triable issues on whether Shelton was discriminated against and whether the department failed to prevent the discrimination. He said he would issue a final decision as early as this afternoon and that trial remains scheduled for April 12.

The three officers filed suit in September 2010. According to their court papers, four white officers have been selected for 33 promotional opportunities within the department in the last four years. When Shelton complained in 2009 that he was being treated unfairly, a black lieutenant replied, "Jeff, come on. You're a white man in America," according to the plaintiffs' court papers.

In addition to preferential treatment, misconduct by minority officers, particularly those who are black, is ignored, the plaintiffs allege. Shelton, who is Jewish, was hired by the LAX police in December 2003. He alleges black supervisors wrote untrue misconduct reports about him and reprimanded him on unfounded charges. He also maintains he was subjected to a Jewish racial slur from a Latino police officer and that he was transferred to Van Nuys Airport, which he says is a less desirable place to work, based on an unfounded sexual harassment allegation by a female officer.

Corrington, who joined the department in February 2001, was fired in October 2008 after a former girlfriend accused him of domestic violence and obtained a restraining order that prevented the officer from carrying a firearm, according to the plaintiffs' court papers. Corrington alleges that black officers facing domestic violence allegations were not fired and in some cases not punished.

Juliano joined the department in December 2003. He says that in December 2007, he and another white officer were forced to adjust their work schedules and work excessive overtime, but that minority officers were able to keep their shifts and take time off during the holidays. Juliano lost his job in September 2010 on allegations that he made an improper comment and for copying documents from his personnel file, the plaintiffs' court papers state.

Lawyers for the city state in their court papers that Juliano was fired for uttering a gay slur while adjusting his tie in front of other officers and members of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's staff. They also say he compromised an internal affairs investigation by copying the paperwork. The defense lawyers also maintain that the city tried to accommodate Corrington with a position as a garage attendant after he was stripped of his firearm, but he considered it an inferior job and refused.

Shelton sent more than 30 "harassing text messages containing profanity and sexually explicit content" to two other officers who eventually sued him and the city, according to defense attorneys, who say Shelton was transferred to Van Nuys Airport to protect the recipients of the texting.