Former LAPD Commander Fired Over Public Intoxication Charges Wins $5.7 Million Discrimination Lawsuit

A fired female Los Angeles Police Department commander will collect $5.7 million from the city after a jury found that she was wrongfully terminated after being arrested for public intoxication. A Los Angeles County jury ruled on the award for Nicole Mehringer on Wednesday, finding that she was wrongfully fired while male colleagues who engaged in “egregious acts of unlawful behavior” were allowed to keep their jobs. Ms. Mehringer’s lawsuit stems from a 2018 incident in which she and a subordinate were arrested. They were found in an unmarked police car that had “come to rest” against a parked vehicle. She was charged with a single misdemeanor count of public intoxication, while her subordinate was charged with driving under the influence.The charge against Ms. Mehringer was dismissed following her completion of a 30-day outpatient recovery program. She said she was initially offered a demotion of two ranks, but was later fired after a disciplinary panel ruled against her. In 2019, she sued the city, arguing that even though her actions violated the department’s policies, she was treated differently from her male colleagues. Her lawsuit included documents that showed high-ranking, male members of the Los Angeles Police Department had “engaged in egregious acts of unlawful behavior,” but “because they were men, the unlawful acts were never punished and [were] covered up by high-ranking command staff officers.”During the trial, Ms. Mehringer acknowledged that she had an inappropriate relationship with a subordinate and said it was wrong to be intoxicated in public. She also said the incident had “humiliated ” her, but argued that she was wrongfully fired. After the verdict, Ms. Mehringer said she is “grateful” and “vindicated.” “This verdict means everything to me, and in my mind it restores my reputation,” she said. The verdict is the latest loss for the city in a lawsuit involving a female police command staff member. In 2023, a former LAPD captain, Stacey Vince, was awarded $10.1 million in her lawsuit accusing the department of retaliating against her for complaining about a supervisor’s behavior.

Former LAPD Commander Fired Over Public Intoxication Charges Wins $5.7 Million Discrimination Lawsuit

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