CITY SETTLES SEX SUIT VS. HOLDEN.Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer Ending years of contentious lawsuits, the Los Angeles City Council  The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles, California, United States. on Wednesday approved paying $175,000 to settle a sexual harassment sexual harassment, in law, verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature, aimed at a particular person or group of people, especially in the workplace or in academic or other institutional settings, that is actionable, as in tort or under equal-opportunity statutes. lawsuit filed against Councilman Nate Holden Nathaniel "Nate" R. Holden (1929-) served on the Los Angeles City Council from 1987 to 2002. He previously served a term on the California State Senate and was Assistant Chief Deputy to then Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. .
``I know we could have won, but I didn't contest settling this,'' Holden said after the 11-3 vote. ``I was told by everyone that I would have won, but it would have cost too much to fight.'' The legal action had been filed by Carla Cavalier, who had worked for Holden and was one of several women who accused him of sexual harassment. Holden was cleared in all the other cases, but the legal bills ran up to nearly $2 million, officials said. ``This is being done strictly on a cost-effective basis,'' said Skip Miller, the private attorney hired by the city to defend Holden in all the cases. ``There is no reason to believe that Councilman Holden wouldn't have prevailed if we went to trial. It was strictly a matter of costs.'' Council members Laura Chick, Mike Feuer and Joel Wachs Joel Wachs served for several terms as Los Angeles City Councilman for the 2nd district. He was first elected by defeating incumbent James B. Potter. While in office, Wachs chaired the Public Works Committee and vice-chair of the Environmental Quality & Waste Management opposed the settlement. Chick and Feuer said they did not believe the city should settle lawsuits when it stands a chance of winning. ``I think this sends a bad message about us settling lawsuits,'' Feuer said. Holden had been widely criticized for the costs paid by taxpayers to defend him in the earlier legal actions, even though he was cleared of wrongdoing wrong·do·er n. One who does wrong, especially morally or ethically. wrong  do .
|
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion