A Los Angeles city firefighter has reached a settlement in his second complaint alleging retaliation, after being awarded $1.54 million in the first lawsuit filed against the city. The firefighter, James Sharlein, claimed that he experienced backlash and emotional distress after reporting a colleague’s threat to drop a bomb on him.
The first lawsuit, in which Sharlein alleged retaliation, whistleblower retaliation, and failure to prevent harassment or retaliation, resulted in a jury rejecting his harassment claims. In his second suit, filed in August 2022, Sharlein claimed that he was denied promotions and faced further backlash for speaking out. He also stated that he had experienced adverse workplace transfers, denied chances for promotions, and was ostracized since filing his initial case.
Sharlein’s attorneys have filed court papers notifying Judge Daniel M. Crowley of a “conditional” settlement in the second suit, pending City Council approval. The terms of the settlement have not been disclosed.
According to the first lawsuit, Sharlein worked at Fire Station 50 when female firefighter Ta’Ana Mitchell joined as a probationary firefighter in December 2017. Mitchell allegedly made inappropriate remarks about Sharlein, including threats such as “I wanted to drop a bomb on Sharlein” and “If he was a girl, I would have beat his (epithet),” in the presence of the plaintiff and a Los Angeles Fire Department supervisor.
Mitchell also expressed a desire to physically harm Sharlein and claimed that her brother, who had recently been released from jail, wanted to attack him. These allegations were outlined in the first complaint filed by Sharlein.
In the first lawsuit, it was stated that Mitchell falsely accused Sharlein of harassment, despite knowing it was untrue. The lawsuit claimed that LAFD management failed to take action against Mitchell’s alleged misconduct, even after Sharlein reported it. Instead, he was denied promotions and transferred to less favorable and potentially more dangerous work locations.
Sharlein also alleged that he was not given the opportunity to earn overtime pay, was falsely accused of spreading gossip and rumors about another firefighter, and was subjected to improper investigations.
In response to Sharlein’s claims, the City Attorney’s Office argued in court papers that he could not establish a connection between the harassment and his race or gender. They also stated that Mitchell denied making some of the offensive remarks attributed to her by Sharlein.
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