LAWSUITS NEWS & LEGAL INFORMATION
Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles, CA: In October 2004, African American Tennie Pierce was served dog food with his spaghetti as part of a firefighter prank. Pierce filed a lawsuit against the city alleging harassment and discrimination in the Los Angeles Fire Department. The lawsuit claimed the incident was racially motivated and related to the roots of slavery where black men were considered animals and less than human. A $2.7 million racial harassment settlement has been approved by the Los Angeles City Council and will be awarded to the former firefighter. (Nov-11-06)
[SANTA CRUZ SENTINEL: DOG FOOD PRANK]
UPDATE: (Sep-22-07) The Los Angeles City Council announced the settlement of a long drawn out lawsuit that was brought by Tennie Pierce, a firefighter who claimed he was humiliated when he was served a spaghetti dinner that secretly included dog food while he was on duty at Fire Station No. 5 in Westchester. Tennie Pierce had filed suit after the incident in 2004. Reports showed that some colleagues described the incident as a prank that played on the 6-foot-5 Pierce's nickname, "Big Dog," but Pierce alleged racial discrimination. The case originally was headed for trial, but reached settlement before that when city officials approved of paying Pierce nearly $1.5 million. The settlement helped avert trial, which would've revealed embarrassing details about hazing within the Los Angeles Fire Department. Sources said the settlement reached on Sept. 21, 2007 afternoon, pushed the total cost of the case to $2.8 million once $1.3 million in legal expenses accumulated by the city was added to it. That is slightly more than the $2.7 million settlement offered by the council in 2006, but rejected by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
UPDATE: (Sep-22-07) The Los Angeles City Council announced the settlement of a long drawn out lawsuit that was brought by Tennie Pierce, a firefighter who claimed he was humiliated when he was served a spaghetti dinner that secretly included dog food while he was on duty at Fire Station No. 5 in Westchester. Tennie Pierce had filed suit after the incident in 2004. Reports showed that some colleagues described the incident as a prank that played on the 6-foot-5 Pierce's nickname, "Big Dog," but Pierce alleged racial discrimination. The case originally was headed for trial, but reached settlement before that when city officials approved of paying Pierce nearly $1.5 million. The settlement helped avert trial, which would've revealed embarrassing details about hazing within the Los Angeles Fire Department. Sources said the settlement reached on Sept. 21, 2007 afternoon, pushed the total cost of the case to $2.8 million once $1.3 million in legal expenses accumulated by the city was added to it. That is slightly more than the $2.7 million settlement offered by the council in 2006, but rejected by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
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