A Black man who sued Los Angeles County alleging that he was harassed and discriminated against by his instructors while training to be a sheriff’s deputy due to his race and age is opposing efforts by the Sheriff’s Dept. to obtain information on his prior employment and health records.
In his Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, plaintiff Donte Pipkins further contends he was subjected to disparate treatment because he had a kidney stone and that he was terminated in 2024 for seeking accommodations for his condition. On Friday, his attorneys filed two motions to quash with Judge Jerrold Abeles arguing that none of the information sought by the LASD is relevant to their defense against Pipkins’ case.
In one motion, the department asks for Pipkins’ employment records from 2018-24 at the Los Angeles Superior Court, where Pipkins worked as a court assistant, including his evaluations, attendance and sick leave.
“Defendant asserted these records were somehow relevant and necessary, baselessly claiming a need to see plaintiff’s employment records, despite plaintiff agreeing to produce all pay records within the past ten years,” Pipkins’ lawyers state in their court papers.
The records sought by the LASD are “not at all directly relevant to the facts at issue in this matter,” according to the Pipkins’ lawyers pleadings.
Similarly, in the motion to quash the request for the plaintiff’s medical records Pipkins’ attorneys argue that the request for his medical records from Glendale Adventist Occupational Medicine Center from 2014 to the present is “overbroad” and seeks information relating to Pipkins’ health unrelated to the lawsuit.
“Simply because plaintiff filed the instant action does not mean he has waived all of his privacy rights with respect to his medical records,” Pipkins’ lawyers state in their court papers.
Pipkins’ attorneys have filed previous motions to quash efforts by the LASD to obtain other past medical and employment records involving the plaintiff. All of the motions are scheduled to be heard Nov. 17.
In earlier court papers, county attorneys deny Pipkins’ allegations and cite multiple defenses, including that any actions taken concerning the plaintiff were done for legitimate and non-discriminatory reasons and in a good faith belief that they were in the county and the LASD’s “best business interest.”
According to Pipkins’ lawsuit, his LASD training instructor told him to “go shoot a video in the hood or something” and said he told “shouldn’t be a cop because he’s not good at it.”
Pipkins also was often berated and told he was “stupid” and one deputy told him, “You will not be a sheriff’s deputy. I will personally see to that,” according to the suit, which further states that white and Latino trainees were not treated the same way.
Pipkins further contends he was accused of making up his kidney stone condition and not given accommodations. He says he was terminated in May 2024 at age 44 under false allegations of integrity violations and that younger as well as non-Black individuals were not similarly let go.
Pipkins, who dreamed of joining the LASD, has suffered emotional distress and financial losses since his termination, the suit states.
Nearly every trainee who washes out of the academy claims it was not their fault and that Staff singled them out. Some recruits just don’t have what it takes, often through no fault of their own. It’s sad when dreams are dashed, a hard lesson. I admire this gentleman and the determination it took to go for his dream at his age, training with recruits half his age but that apparently wasn’t enough.