LOS ANGELES : ACLU Files Suit Alleging Bias in Fire Department
The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday filed a federal class-action lawsuit against the Los Angeles City Fire Department, alleging that it has engaged in “systematic discrimination and harassment” against women and minority firefighters and recruits.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, seeks unspecified monetary damages and an injunction requiring the Fire Department to implement reforms. It alleges that Fire Chief Donald O. Manning and other department officials allowed discrimination to flourish and failed to properly investigate bias complaints.
“The culture of the LAFD is such that policies regarding harassment and discrimination based on sex and/or race are systematically undermined and will continue to be, regardless of formal policy, without intervention by the court,” said the 31-page lawsuit, filed on behalf of six former recruits--five women and one Latino man.
Manning was off duty with a back injury Monday and unavailable for comment. A department spokesman said fire officials are aware of the allegations in the lawsuit and are investigating.
The legal action is the first to be taken against the department since the release of a scathing city audit in November.
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