FEATURED VERDICT: Long Beach PD Hit With $2.5 Million Dollar Verdict For Whistleblower Retaliation

A Los Angeles County jury recently found in favor of Plaintiff Lawrence Alexander on his claims of retaliation by the Long Beach Police Department for opposing illegal behavior. The verdict totaled $2,590,000.

Alexander was the field training offer responsible for ensuring that the Long Beach Police Department complied with the generally accepted regulations known as Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Procedures. According to the lawsuit, a new recruit requested that he be transferred away from a high-crime area or that he would resign to due to fear. A deputy chief initially permitted the transfer until Alexander protested that it violated these accepted regulations. While the transfer was voided, Alexander claims that he was summoned to the deputy chief’s office and was reassigned to basic patrol duties. He was then told that he could find a job elsewhere if he had an issue with the transfer. Alexander claimed that this was a demotion as it was the same job duties he was given when he first started with the LBPD in over 20 years earlier and resulted in the loss of his own office and supervision of other officers. The lawsuit further claimed that he was denied a promotion months later despite being the most qualified individual.