WHILE HAHN FIGHTS GANGS, STEIN ATTACKS.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

Five days before the election, City Attorney James Hahn campaigned against gangs on the streets of South Los Angeles, while challenger Ted Stein continued to attack, questioning Hahn's handling of sexual discrimination claims against his office.

Hahn started off Thursday appearing with Mayor Richard Riordan to announce a ``safe passages'' program creating protected travel routes for students attending Franklin High School in gang-plagued Highland Park.

Later in the day, he went to the south side to announce the barricading of an abandoned apartment house that was being used as a hangout and drug-dealing base by a street gang.

``This building has been a major blight on this neighborhood for years,'' Hahn said. ``But that ends today thanks to the work of (city) prosecutors and the good-neighbor community spirit being shown by Coast Federal Savings in stepping in and helping pay for the barricading.''

At a news conference at police union headquarters, Stein challenged Hahn's anti-gang efforts as too little too late and pledged to more vigorously pursue court injunctions against street gangs if he is elected.

Stein charged that Hahn's announcements on gangs were made ``because the election is on Tuesday. Where's he been the last 12 years?''

Stein charged that a sexual discrimination lawsuit filed by a Hahn deputy is evidence that the incumbent tolerates abuse. The challenger called the news conference with police union officials to raise questions about a $6.2 million discrimination lawsuit filed this week by deputy city attorney Lenora Lashley.

Lashley charges in the suit that she was the victim of a hostile work environment, sexual, racial and age discrimination, and was unfairly denied a promotion.

Lenton Aikins, Lashley's attorney, said Hahn was named in the suit only because he heads the office, and that Hahn had no direct involvement in the alleged mistreatment of Lashley.

However, the lawsuit alleges that a tape exists of Hahn saying he is aware of the problem of discrimination in his office but hasn't acted because ``you can't change people'' and ``I have to work with and rely on these racists.''

Hahn denied through spokesman Matt Middlebrook that he made the statements alleged in the lawsuit and said he does not allow discrimination in his office.

``He doesn't tolerate it at all,'' Middlebrook said.

Stein and Aikins denied that they were working together, but Middlebrook said it ``raises eyebrows'' that Stein held his news conference on the same day Lashley held a separate news conference to announce her lawsuit.

``It looks like a complete setup,'' Middlebrook said.

At Stein's news conference, police union director Dennis Zine also denounced a Hahn campaign advertisement that says Hahn has the support of police officers. Zine said the union has endorsed Stein and the Hahn advertisement includes an actor dressed like a police officer.