Delay in taking action against phony photo leads to jury award

A female police department captain became aware of a provocative photo making the rounds among police officers, being passed off as a photo of her. Her complaints to the department were not promptly addressed, and she filed suit. Are these the elements of a hostile work environment?

How not to respond to a harassment complaint

Lillian Carranza held the rank of “Captain III”— placing her among the top 115 sworn Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers and the top one percent of the department’s 13,000 employees. She led the Commercial Crimes Division, overseeing about 100 employees stationed across the city of Los Angeles.

In November 2018, Carranza learned from her attorney Gregory Smith that a nude photo resembling her was circulating within the LAPD. Smith sent her a copy. The photo depicted a closeup of the naked upper torso of a woman with facial features similar to Carranza pursing her lips with her breasts prominently displayed. Carranza was “very hurt [and] confused” by this, “felt betrayed, devalued, [and] objectified,” and immediately lodged a complaint with MyVoiceLA, an independent city agency that fields sexual harassment complaints from employees, including LAPD officers.