Charles Parkin
Long Beach
City Attorney
411 West Ocean Blvd., 9th Floor
Long Beach, California 90802-4664
cityattorney@longbeach.gov
Long Beach, California 90802-4664
cityattorney@longbeach.gov
5/24/2017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEPress Release # 028
Subject:
Dieanna Hollie v. City of Long Beach
Contact:
Haleh Jenkins
Deputy City Attorney
(562) 570-2270
haleh.jenkins@longbeach.gov
Deputy City Attorney
(562) 570-2270
haleh.jenkins@longbeach.gov
On May 23, 2017, a Superior Court judge rejected a claim by a parking enforcement officer that her termination from the City of Long Beach was motivated by her race.
The plaintiff, Dieanna Hollie, was employed by the City for ten years as a part-time, unclassified Parking Control Checker. Her primary job was to follow the City street sweeper and to issue citations to vehicles improperly parked on City streets during street sweeping hours. Within a two-week time period, Hollie was involved in two separate rear end automobile accidents. Hollie’s manager concluded that Hollie was at fault for both accidents. After the second accident, the City terminated Hollie. Following her termination, Hollie filed a lawsuit against the City, and her supervisor, alleging that she was actually terminated because of her race. In the lawsuit, Hollie claims that her supervisor harbored discriminatory animus against African American City employees.
The City viewed Hollie’s claim as lacking any merit and brought a pretrial motion for judgment in its favor. The City argued that Hollie’s termination was based on legitimate, business reasons - the automobile accidents. The City also argued that Hollie had no evidence supporting her claim that racial discrimination played any part in the decision to terminate Hollie. After a full hearing on the matter, Superior Court Judge Ross Klein agreed with the City, and ordered judgment in favor of both the City and Hollie’s supervisor. As the prevailing party, the City is entitled to recover its costs of suit from Hollie.
City Attorney, Charles Parkin stated, “We are very pleased with the Court’s ruling. Racial discrimination was not a factor in the decision to terminate this employee.”
Michele Dobson, Esq. and the Law Offices of Michele A. Dobson handled the case for Plaintiff Hollie. The case was tried by the Long Beach City Attorney’s Office. Haleh Jenkins handled the defense of the case for the City.
The plaintiff, Dieanna Hollie, was employed by the City for ten years as a part-time, unclassified Parking Control Checker. Her primary job was to follow the City street sweeper and to issue citations to vehicles improperly parked on City streets during street sweeping hours. Within a two-week time period, Hollie was involved in two separate rear end automobile accidents. Hollie’s manager concluded that Hollie was at fault for both accidents. After the second accident, the City terminated Hollie. Following her termination, Hollie filed a lawsuit against the City, and her supervisor, alleging that she was actually terminated because of her race. In the lawsuit, Hollie claims that her supervisor harbored discriminatory animus against African American City employees.
The City viewed Hollie’s claim as lacking any merit and brought a pretrial motion for judgment in its favor. The City argued that Hollie’s termination was based on legitimate, business reasons - the automobile accidents. The City also argued that Hollie had no evidence supporting her claim that racial discrimination played any part in the decision to terminate Hollie. After a full hearing on the matter, Superior Court Judge Ross Klein agreed with the City, and ordered judgment in favor of both the City and Hollie’s supervisor. As the prevailing party, the City is entitled to recover its costs of suit from Hollie.
City Attorney, Charles Parkin stated, “We are very pleased with the Court’s ruling. Racial discrimination was not a factor in the decision to terminate this employee.”
Michele Dobson, Esq. and the Law Offices of Michele A. Dobson handled the case for Plaintiff Hollie. The case was tried by the Long Beach City Attorney’s Office. Haleh Jenkins handled the defense of the case for the City.