By Rick Orlov
Daily Breeze (Torrance, California)

LOS ANGELES — Two city officials called Friday for the creation of an independent post to monitor the Los Angeles Fire Department to ensure it implements reforms, after years of losing costly lawsuits over sexual and racial harassment in the agency.

Councilmen Jose Huizar and Jack Weiss introduced a proposal for the March 3 ballot to create an independent assessor to oversee reforms developed by Fire Chief Douglas Barry tohazing and harassment.

"The independent assessor will ensure that the reforms Chief Barry is trying to implement are strictly adhered to, and to inform the public if they're not," Huizar said. "We need to put the focus back on the important work our firefighters do on a daily basis."

Weiss called it a matter of accountability.

"The city will save taxpayer money and ensure the discipline is handled appropriately," he said.

Steve Tufts, president of the Unified Firefighters of Los Angeles City, said the union would support the proposal if it goes on the ballot.

"Something like this is needed," he said. "But I think we need to give the new Professional Standards Division some time to get up and running."

What concerns Tufts is how the new division and an independent assessor would work with longtime problems.

"We don't have that much hazing or harassment, but there have been some big cases with big payouts," he said. "But what you find is most of that is due to the way the department responded to the people who complained. There is this attitude that you are guilty until proven innocent, and that's what juries award money for. The department has to change how it responds."

In one of the most controversial cases of recent years, the city settled for $1.4 million a suit brought by former firefighter Tennie Pierce, who complained of racial hazing when dog food was placed in his meal at a Westchester fire station.

That case resulted in a double payout: The city had to pay two of Pierce's superiors $1.6 million as a result of a suit in which they alleged they were discriminated against because they were singled out for punishment.

Huizar and Weiss said they envision the post similar to the inspector general in the Los Angeles Police Department, providing an independent review for complaints and discipline and making sure the new Professional Standards Division is able to investigate complaints properly.

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