Lawsuit

The trial for a lawsuit filed by Burbank Police Officer Cindy Guillen - who is alleging racial and ethnic discrimination, in addition to harassment due to her marital status and pregnancy - is expected to start next week after attorneys wrapped up jury selection Friday in Los Angeles County Superior Court. Guillen, who is Latino, also alleged in her lawsuit filed in 2009 that when she complained to commanders, she faced retaliation - echoing claims filed by other former and current officers who have sued the Police Department.

A jury this week sided with former Deputy Police Chief William Taylor to the tune of nearly $1.3 million, siding with his claims that he was fired in retaliation for refusing to sign off on the terminations of minority officers. In his 2009 lawsuit, Taylor also said he was retaliated against for raising concerns about how a sexual harassment incident was being handled. Late Monday afternoon, jurors awarded $1.29 million, with $250,000 of that awarded for pain and suffering, his attorney Gregory Smith said.

With the first of a slew of lawsuits filed by current and former police officers against the city now concluded, Interim Police Chief Scott LaChasse this week acknowledged that a few in the ranks were not pleased with attempts to diversify the department. Following a Los Angeles County Superior Court jury's decision this week to award nearly $1.3 million to the former deputy chief, William Taylor, based on claims of being fired in retaliation for pushing for internal reforms and accountability measures, LaChasse sent an email to all officers.

Defending the city against claims that former Burbank Deputy Chief of Police William Taylor was terminated after facing on-the-job retaliation from the department, attorneys this week called into question the reason for his lawsuit. Taylor alleges he was demoted, and then fired, for pushing for proper discipline in a sexual harassment incident and because he blocked the firing of minority police officers. But defense attorneys said in Los Angeles County Superior court that it wasn't until Taylor received notice to appear for an interview by an outside investigator concerning the robbery at a local bakery that he filed his lawsuit against the city.

As the police department pushes forward with layers of independent oversight and monitors to restore public confidence, yet another lawsuit involving a former police officer has been filed against the city. Former Burbank Police Det. Pete Allen has filed a lawsuit in federal court claiming he was fired in retaliation for participating in an internal misconduct investigation into the police response to the Porto's Bakery robbery in December 2007. Allen claims the city violated the California Whistleblower Protection Act after he provided information to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and FBI after they launched use-of-force probes into the department.

Burbank's Police Commission plans to iron out details of a major part of its oversight role Wednesday as part of the city's response to federal and county investigations into the department. Specifically, the commission will discuss ways to ensure the Police Department's 2011 Strategic Plan - which addresses cultural issues within the department, among other things - is working and its goals are being met. As part of that plan, the City Council last year agreed to bring on Michael Gennaco to oversee how police handle a variety of cases, including allegations of excessive force.

Twenty months into the job as police chief, Burbank's top cop continues working to modernize a department besieged by lawsuits and investigations into misconduct and excessive use of force by the FBI and Los Angeles County sheriff's department. Now, Burbank Police Chief Scott LaChasse says the department continues to make strides as it works through an updated plan for internal changes. The City Council is slated to review the final version in the coming weeks as City Hall continues to identify its work priorities for the coming year.

The family of a student who had a sexual affair with Burbank Unified middle school teacher Amy Beck has filed a lawsuit against her husband, a Los Angeles police officer, claiming he threatened to kill the teenager with his department-issued gun. The family claims that when Nathaniel Beck learned his wife was having an affair with the then-14-year-old student at Jordan Middle School, he threatened to kill him, according to the lawsuit filed this...

A federal appellate court on Tuesday revived a lawsuit against two Burbank police officers who allegedly entered a home in 2007 without a warrant. In its ruling, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the two officers had not been absolved of liability in the lawsuit, as a lower court had determined in throwing out the lawsuit against four officers. In that decision, the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California had thrown out the lawsuit against Officers Edmundo Zepeda, Chris Roberts, Fernando Munoz and then-Sgt.