Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles, CA: (Apr-16-07) Lewis "Steve" Bressler filed suit against the Fire Department accusing it of retaliating against him after he sought to help a colleague, Brenda Lee, who had alleged racial, gender, and sexual orientation discrimination. He was one of three firefighters who worked together in 2001 at Station 96 in Chatsworth and sued the city in 2005. Bressler alleged he had been discriminated against for his age and his Jehovah's Witness religion, and that his pleas to help colleague Brenda Lee, a black lesbian who also alleged discrimination, were shunned by the department and led to his forced retirement in 2005 at age 65. In a settlement reached with the city, a Los Angeles jury awarded him $1.7 million. Another plaintiff in the case, Gary Mellinger, settled his part of the case with the city for $350,000 in November after a jury found in his favor. He, too, had alleged retaliation for helping Lee. [FIREHOUSE: DISCRIMINATION AND RETALIATION]

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Published on Apr-19-07