Promotion of Officer Must Await Appeal

Glendale Police Officer Ricardo L. Jauregui will not be promoted to sergeant until an appeal by the City of Glendale to block that promotion can be resolved, a U. S. District Court of Appeals ruled.

The city is appealing a decision in which U. S. District Judge Dickran Tevrizian Jr. found that the Glendale Police Department had discriminated against Jauregui, a Latino officer, by passing him over for promotion in favor of less-qualified Anglo officers.

In October, Tevrizian ordered that Jauregui be immediately promoted to sergeant and awarded back pay to February, 1985.

Tuesday’s ruling, handed down by a panel of two federal judges, was greeted with satisfaction by Glendale city officials.

“I’m pleased,” Assistant City Atty. Scott Howard said. “I’m hoping it is a forerunner to an ultimate finding . . . that the city had legitimate, non-discriminatory reasons for not promoting him.”

David Alkire, Jauregui’s attorney, said the ruling has no bearing on the merits of the case and will have “no effect at all on whether the city is going to succeed in its appeal.”

Court officials said the appeal probably will take months. Glendale officials have steadfastly denied all charges of discrimination.

The city, under court order by Tevrizian to conduct an independent investigation into racism charges, last week hired Latino activist and former U. S. Atty. Herman Sillas to head the inquiry.