Tehachapi Dispatcher to Receive $54K After Alleged Retaliation for Reporting Workplace Harassment

SACRAMENTO – The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) today announced a $54,000 voluntary settlement involving the City of Tehachapi and a police dispatcher over claims of retaliation and harassment in the workplace. The settlement also requires all Tehachapi Police Department staff — including managers and supervisors — to undergo training on California’s civil rights protections.

“Punishing an employee for reporting concerns about harassment on the job is against the law,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “In California, we all have the right to a workplace free from retaliation. This voluntary settlement will help ensure employee complaints at the Tehachapi Police Department are treated appropriately and fairly.”

Write-Ups and Negative Job References

In 2023, CRD received a complaint against the City of Tehachapi over claims of harassment and retaliation based on sex and sexual orientation within the police department’s dispatch unit. According to the complaint, a dispatcher for the city internally reported that a supervisor created a hostile work environment by regularly engaging in verbal harassment, including the use of slurs against women and comments disparaging the rights of members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Shortly after making the report, the dispatcher allegedly faced retaliation in the form of a write-up, despite never having received one in the past and having previously received a commendation from command staff for their work. Eventually, according to the complaint, the employee sought a job elsewhere and was denied the opportunity after a negative and retaliatory reference presented an allegedly false and exaggerated account of their job performance with the city.

Under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, it is against the law to retaliate against an employee for reporting discrimination or harassment on the job. Retaliation can come in many forms, including false or misleading performance reviews and negative employment references. Even threats of retaliation can be unlawful, regardless of whether a threatened action is carried out.

Settlement Ends Alleged Retaliation

After conducting an initial investigation, CRD provided the city and the dispatcher an opportunity to resolve the allegations through mediation. As a result of a voluntary settlement, the City of Tehachapi, without admitting liability, will:

• Require training be provided to all police department staff, specifically covering protections against harassment, discrimination, and retaliation under state civil rights laws.
• Ensure the city manager and department heads do not defame the dispatcher.
• Have all employment references for the dispatcher be handled directly by the city’s human resources coordinator or city manager.
• Pay $54,000 to the dispatcher to resolve the alleged harms.

About CRD’s Mediation Program

CRD resolves hundreds of discrimination complaints a year through its free dispute resolution program. An alternative for parties who don’t want to go to court, the program offers neutral, trauma-informed mediation for civil rights disputes. These mediations result in millions of dollars in direct relief to Californians and policy change that helps prevent against future discrimination.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of employment discrimination, CRD may be able to assist you through its complaint process. The department also provides general information and factsheets online about civil rights protections for members of the public.

The settlement announced today was mediated by Senior Attorney Mediator Yu-Yee Wu.

A copy of the settlement is available here.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.

View Press Release (PDF) Tehachapi Dispatcher to Receive $54K After Alleged Retaliation for Reporting Workplace Harassment