An epileptic Los Angeles Police Department officer who sued the city twice after allegedly being denied a return to full duty and told to choose between being fired, resigning and other undesirable options has reached a settlement in both lawsuits.
During a hearing Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, attorneys in the cases brought by Officer Andrew Mahoney told Judge Bradley S. Phillips that both lawsuits were resolved. A minute order prepared by the judge’s clerk did not divulge the settlement terms.
Mahoney first sued the city in May 2019, alleging disability discrimination and failure to accommodate. He sued again in July 2024, alleging the department breached a November 2018 written agreement by not engaging in a reasonable, good faith interactive process to accommodate him so he could return to work.
“Plaintiff explained that it made no sense that plaintiff was continuing to be kept at home by the department and not being allowed to return to work, especially since the department is in dire need of police officers,” the second suit stated. “Plaintiff explained that he would like to get back to work at the department and that he could work either modified or full duty.”
In their court papers, lawyers for the City Attorney’s Office maintained the city did make efforts to accommodate Mahoney by offering him new positions and that he has been fully paid even though he has not worked since March 2017.
Mahoney joined the LAPD in October 2009 and was assigned to Mission Division, where he studied crime trends to assist detectives with crime reports, the first suit stated. He and his partner were also in charge of running the station’s social media accounts, the first suit stated.
Mahoney disclosed when he was hired that he had a history of juvenile epilepsy and he graduated from the police academy and worked with no seizures until 2011, when he had two seizures and was placed on light duty, the first suit stated. He has had none since 2016, but a doctor for the city determined that his work restrictions should be permanent and that he should remain on light-duty status, the first suit stated.
Mahoney’s own doctor, a well-known seizure disorder specialist, believed Mahoney was seizure-free and should be able to return to the full duties of a police officer, the first suit stated.
Despite his requests for accommodation and a return to full duty, the LAPD had told Mahoney he must choose between being fired, transferring to a civilian role, taking medical retirement, resigning or taking a disability pension, the first suit alleged.