A former Los Angeles Police Department commander was awarded $5.7 million Wednesday in her lawsuit against the city and the LAPD, in which she alleged that she was fired in retaliation for taking a stand against the alleged preferential treatment of male members of the department when it came to misconduct involving alcohol.
Former Cmdr. Nicole Mehringer was found passed out and drunk in a police vehicle that crashed into a parked car while she was accompanied by a subordinate in 2018 in Glendale. She contended that by being terminated, she was treated more harshly than male counterparts involved in similar situations while under the influence.
A Los Angeles Superior Court panel deliberated for about 90 minutes on Wednesday before reaching its verdict. The award includes $3.75 million to compensate Mehringer for past and future loss of reputation and emotional distress.
In 2024, Mehringer’s attorneys filed a motion asking Judge Theresa M. Traber to examine the 2018 transcript of the plaintiff’s December 2018 Board of Rights hearing to determine whether retaliation was indeed the actual motivation to fire Mehringer. Traber granted the motion.
The City Attorney’s Office maintained in its court papers that the hearing transcript had no “materiality” to Mehringer’s case.
The Board of Rights hearing concluded with Mehringer being found guilty of being drunk in a public place, allowing an intoxicated subordinate to operate the plaintiff’s city-owned vehicle as well as failing to cooperate with police during her arrest and booking, the suit stated.
Mehringer pleaded guilty to failing to disclose to the department that she was involved in a romantic relationship with a subordinate, the suit further stated.
Former LAPD Chief Michel Moore was among the witnesses testifying during the trial.