CITY OF OAKLAND
ONE F R A N K H. O G A W A P L A Z A 6 TH F L O O R O A K L A N D , C A L I F O R N I A 94612 Office of the City Attorney
Barbara Parker
City Attorney
FAX:
TDD:
(510) 238-3601
(510) 238-6500
(510) 839-6451
May 31, 2022
HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL
Oakland, California
Subject: Edith Guillen v. City of Oakland Police Department, Araina Richards, Annie Sloan, Renee Sykes and DOES 1 through 100 Alameda County Superior Court Case No. RG19027309
City Attorney File No. X04822-1
(City Administrator – Employment Discrimination)
President Fortunato Bas and Members of the City Council:
Pursuant to Section 401 of the Charter, the City Attorney has prepared and requests your approval of a resolution authorizing compromise and settlement of the above -entitled claim for the sum of Three Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars and Zero Cents ($ 350,000.00), payable to Plaintiff Edith Guillen, through Guillen’s attorneys, Brian Sudano at the Sudano Law Firm.
Guillen, who is Latinx, alleges racial discrimination, harassment, failure to prevent harassment and discrimination, and retaliation by three African American co-workers, who acted as Guillen’s temporary supervisors from time to time. Guillen was a neighborhood services coordinator in the Neighborhood Services Division. Guillen claims that these coworkers made racially offensive remarks and treated Guillen differently because of Guillen’s Latinx heritage from 2006 to 2018 . In addition, Guillen alleges that a homeless person at the O akland Police Department (“OPD”) Eastmont Station racially harassed Guillen for over a year, and OPD knew about it and took inadequate corrective action to prevent the harassment.
Guillen alleges economic damages of approximately $669,261, additional general damages for emotional distr ess, and attorney’s fees to date of over $200,000 . The City has determined that settlement in the amount of $350,000.00 to Plaintiff, without admitting liability and to avoid further litigation, is in the best interest of the City.
The City Council authorized settlement of this case in Closed Session on Thursday, May 19, 2022 (moved by Vice Mayor Kaplan and seconded by Councilmember Gallo - 6 Ayes, 2 Excused - Councilmember Reid and Councilmember Pro Tem Thao).
Respectfully submitted,
BARBARA J. PARKER
City Attorney
Assigned Attorney:
Han Tran
3172051v1