CITY SETTLES LAPD DETECTIVE'S SUIT.

Byline: Daily News

The City Council voted Wednesday to pay $175,000 to Detective Belinda Gomez to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged she was sexually harassed by another police detective when they both worked in the Los Angeles Police Department's Administrative Vice Division.

Gomez alleged that Detective Michael Tyus harassed her through notes, neck and shoulder rubs, lifting her over his shoulder, and giving her a ``love bite'' on the shoulder, according to a report by the City Attorney's Office.

Gomez alleged that the harassment occurred over the course of a year and that two supervisors, who have since resigned, were told about it but did not act to end the conduct.

``Our concern is that the supervisors did know this was going on but didn't stop it,'' said Councilwoman Jackie Goldberg.

At one point, council members had demanded that Tyus, now an Organized Crime Unit detective, pay up to $25,000 of the settlement, but attorneys are currently talking about an offer by Tyus to pay a total of $5,000 in installments, according to the report by Deputy City Attorney Cheryl Ward.

Ward recommended that the council accept Tyus' offer, writing that with demands for a higher payment ``there would be the risk of alienating the rank-and-file members of the department. It may appear as though the rank and file must bear the brunt of supervisors' inaction, creating a very low morale environment.''