Los Angeles Daily News Reports on $1.65M Settlement Obtained in Retaliation Lawsuit Against L.A. County and Its Department of Mental Health
As reported by Los Angeles Daily News, personal injury and employment law firms McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP and Kent | Pincin obtained a $1.65 million settlement on behalf of Dr. Sara Hough, a County of Los Angeles psychologist, who alleged she was retaliated and discriminated against for reporting civil rights violations at Twin Towers Correctional Facility.
Hough noticed civil rights violations against inmates, including refusing to provide inmates with basic necessities such as food and clothing, and that some inmates were not receiving medications. Hough reported the violations, but her complaints were ignored, and the department discriminated and retaliated against her for several years for speaking out.
The attorneys told Los Angeles Daily News this lawsuit is a message for the county and other governing bodies as a whole, that they need to take retaliation and discrimination seriously.
Read the full Los Angeles Daily News story here.
Learn more about the lawsuit below.
LOS ANGELES (February 29, 2024) – Personal injury and employment law firms McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP and Kent | Pincin obtained a $1.65 million settlement on behalf of Dr. Sara Hough, a county-employed psychologist, who alleged she was retaliated and discriminated against for reporting civil rights violations at Twin Towers Correctional Facility. The lawsuit, filed against the County of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) in December 2018, also alleged that Dr. Hough was subjected to retaliation for reporting discriminatory comments made about her ethnicity, national origin, race and religion. The settlement was approved by the Los Angeles Claims Board and Board of Supervisors on February 29, 2024.
“Dr. Hough noticed numerous civil rights violations occurring against LACDMH inmates and engaged in protected activity by raising these concerns to her supervisors. Unfortunately, instead of following appropriate and lawful practices, staff turned the other way to avoid retaliation and continued to jeopardize inmate safety,” said Michael Kent of Kent | Pincin. “As a result, she beared the brunt of discrimination and retaliation for speaking out.”
“Our client had to endure discrimination and retaliation for several years all because she was doing her job and protecting inmates from poor and unlawful treatment,” said Patrick McNicholas of McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP. “This case underscores the deeply dysfunctional and illegal system within L.A. County’s jails and Department of Mental Health. The settlement has shed light on this disfunction and shows that it cannot be swept under the rug.”
Case Background
Psychologist Dr. Sara Hough began her employment with LACDMH in 1997 and received numerous commendations, promotions and outstanding performance reviews. In 2007, she was promoted to Mental Health Clinical Program Head for the women’s programs at Twin Towers Correctional Facility. In 2011, she was transferred to the same role for the men’s programs at Twin Towers.
Upon taking over this role, Dr. Hough noticed numerous civil rights violations occurring against inmates. She engaged in protected activity by raising these violations to David L. Fender, Acting Chief of Custody Division at the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. Instead of addressing the violations, Fender ignored Dr. Hough’s reports and repeatedly contacted her supervisor to request that she be transferred out of the jail facility.
Beginning in 2012, one of Dr. Hough’s subordinates began making discriminatory and derogatory remarks to her based upon her ethnicity, national origin, race and religion. She was referred to as “Saddam Hussein” and a “Pakistani Muslim terrorist,” even though Dr. Hough grew up in India. These comments spread throughout the community and damaged Dr. Hough and her family’s reputation.
Another subordinate sent multiple emails to all personnel falsely accusing Dr. Hough of engaging in private practice during LACDMH work hours. Dr. Hough was also improperly subjected to four anonymous complaints alleging she was using county resources for personal use. She again engaged in protected activity by reporting these subordinates’ harassment. Her report was later substantiated by a LACDMH investigation, yet the harassment continued.
In March 2015, in a further act of discrimination and retaliation, Fender asked the Office of Inspector General (OIG) to initiate an investigation into Dr. Hough, which resulted in her placement on administrative leave and removal of her jail credentials. This prevented her from interviewing for promotional opportunities or engaging in her side job as a private forensic evaluator for nearly three years.
To add insult to injury, Dr. Hough was then subjected to multiple frivolous investigations claiming she had shared her email password years prior (a common practice within LACDMH); she improperly forwarded LACDMH emails to her personal email (despite having permission to do so); and she engaged in sexual harassment by using the term “darling” in an email to a staff member. As a result of the investigations, Dr. Hough was improperly placed on a five-day suspension. The initial OIG investigation—the reason for her placement on administrative leave—was never produced.
When Dr. Hough was forced to return to work in January 2018, she was transferred to a lower position and given no substantive working duties. It was not until 2021 that she was provided a position similar to the one she held six years prior.
Dr. Hough’s lawsuit was initially filed in December 2018, alleging Discrimination in Violation of FEHA; Retaliation in Violation of FEHA; Harassment in Violation of FEHA; Failure to Prevent Discrimination and Retaliation in Violation of FEHA; and Retaliation in Violation of Labor Code Section 1102.5.
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Kent | Pincin
Kent | Pincin is a leading employment and personal injury law firm specializing in mass action and personal injury cases throughout California. www.KentPincinLaw.com
McNicholas & McNicholas, LLP
McNicholas & McNicholas is a Los Angeles-based plaintiff-trial law firm representing clients in the areas of catastrophic personal injury, employment law, class actions, sexual abuse, and other consumer-oriented matters such as civil rights, aviation disasters, and product liability. www.McNicholasLaw.com
Media Contact
As one of the leading trial lawyers in California, Partner Matthew McNicholas represents victims in a range of areas, including personal injury, wrongful death, employment law, product liability, sexual assault and other consumer-oriented matters. Learn more about his professional background here.