The Los Angeles City Council has agreed to a $750,000 settlement with a former economic development official who was fired two years ago for allegedly creating a hostile work environment.
Ninoos Benjamin has denied claims that his temper was the reason he was terminated as Director of Economic Division of the City of Los Angeles’ Community Development Department. Instead, he says racial bias and retaliation were the reasons for his termination. (Benjamin is an Assyrian-American of Persian descent.)
Benjamin had sued the city for discrimination and retaliation over his whistleblowing efforts in regards to an interdepartmental ‘turf war’ between African-Americans and Latinos. He had also raised concerns over a failure to comply with federal regulations and the misuse of federal funds, and the city was ultimately audited and sanctioned by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The recent decision to settle with Benjamin was unanimous. You can read more about it here.