Former Chula Vista Cop Files Lawsuit

  • Sep 11 2015
  • Gilleon Law Firm, APC

A former police officer in Chula Vista filed a lawsuit alleging that he was fired for reporting racial discrimination, according to a recent report. David Mitchell, a seasoned veteran who retired from a 24-year career with the San Diego police department, filed the lawsuit against Chula Vista after he claims his training officers used inflammatory and racist language toward him.

Racism and Retaliation Lead To Termination

“Racism, retaliation and maybe age as well,” notes Mitchell when asked why he was fired from Chula Vista during his training period. Mitchell recently filed a lawsuit that claims that he was fired in retaliation for reporting suspected racism on the part of his training officers. He lists racial discrimination, a hostile work environment, retaliation and failure to prevent harassment as causes of action in his lawsuit.

Mitchell claims that on two separate occasions, different training officers made comments that would be considered racial slurs. One officers referred to a particular area s “n——- hill,” while another referred to a messy home using a racially-charged term.

“Threw Him Under the Bus”

Attorney Dan Gilleon notes, “The city actually rallied behind racism and threw Mitchell under the bus.” He believes the evidence shows a flagrant FEHA retaliation in which Mitchell was fired for reporting the slurs.

“You’re always going to have a bad cop in the police department,” notes Gilleon, “but when they get exposed, then the city or the police department should act on them and address that problem, not fire the person who complained about it.”

Mitchell says that, although the lawsuit seeks an unspecified amount of monetary damages, he does not really want money. What he really wants is to get back to serving the public, even if it means going back to work at the Chula Vista Police Department.

“99.9 percent of the men and women working for the Chula Vista Police Department are hard working, honorable people,” he notes. However, the two training officers who used these racial slurs made it difficult for him to work in a hostile environment.

Attorneys for the city say that they take allegations of this nature very seriously and have said that they will look into the matter.

If you have been a victim of racial discrimination or retaliation at work, contact Dan Gilleon in San Diego. He has handled many discrimination cases and can help you fight for your rights.


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