A former Burbank deputy police chief who claimed he was demoted and then fired for complaining about racial discrimination and sexual harassment within the department was awarded $1.29 million Monday by a downtown Los Angeles jury.
Gregory W. Smith, an attorney for William Taylor, argued that his client was retaliated against for coming forward and speaking out about a department beset by factional infighting and a lack of accountability. He also said Taylor was the victim of a “sham” internal investigation that led to adverse actions being taken against the lawman.