Judge Tosses Racial, Age Discrimination Suit Against LA County Sheriff’s Department

LOS ANGELES, CA — A judge has dismissed a racial and age discrimination lawsuit filed by a 58-year-old Black Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department custody assistant who alleged she was subjected to ethnic insensitivity by both colleagues and inmates.

On Wednesday, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Steve Cochran tossed out Shelor Young's complaint, agreeing with county attorneys that there were no triable issues. The judge also vacated the scheduled Dec. 7 jury trial.

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Young was one of the oldest graduates of the Sheriff's Academy and began her career with the county as a typist in 1986. She alleged she was wrongfully demoted from a probationary sheriff's deputy because of her race. She maintained that inmates often called her racist names and that colleagues treated her with disrespect.

"I made more money as a deputy sheriff than as a (custody assistant) and I was in line for better pension if I were to have remained a deputy," Young said in a sworn declaration. "I have lost, and will continue to lose, the difference in pay and retirement credit for the remainder of my career."

Young says that while in the LASD academy, a white recruit said that Black people are "too dark to see at night" and "only good for running," and the recruit additionally laughed during a hate-crimes training video showing Black people being attacked with dogs and hoses.

The recruit was investigated and graduated with Young's class, was assigned as a deputy and Young believes he completed probation and became a permanent deputy, Young further said.

An inmate called Young a "Black (N-word) b——h" in front of other inmates and the jail staff and Young further said she was "shocked" when a female sergeant asked the plaintiff in December 2022 if she was affiliated with any gangs after an inmate made a complaint against Young, the plaintiff further says.

On Feb. 2, 2023, two weeks before her one-year probation would have ended, Young was relieved of duty permanently, she said. Young further stated that she went on medical leave in April 2023 and that she continues on that status while remaining a county employee.

"As a result of being released from probation and demoted after 36 years of service, I have suffered other harm, including humiliation, anxiety, depression and sleeplessness," according to Young.

But in their court papers, county attorneys stated that a dismissal of Young's suit was proper.

"It is not even a close call," the county attorneys stated in their court papers. "This case is about plaintiff Shelor Young's failure to complete a probationary period, following complaints about her handling of inmates at a jail and a substantiated investigation, determined by an outside panel unrelated to the Sheriffs Dept."

Young was appropriately returned to her position as a custody assistant because she was not qualified to pass probation, something that happens to many probationary employees, the county lawyers further contended in their court papers.

City News Service