Briefly in the news

Following a judge’s order, a former Costa Mesa police officer recently

reimbursed the city $36,000 for filing a 1997 sexual harassment lawsuit

in which a jury later ruled in the city’s favor, officials said.

After the jury’s May 2000 ruling, the city filed a claim for

reimbursement of attorney fees, which a judge ordered June Romine to pay,

said Costa Mesa Lt. Dale Birney.

Romine alleged widespread sexual harassment in the Police Department,

including sexist slurs and fondling of female officers. The jury also

rejected Romine’s claim that she was fired from the department because

she filed the lawsuit.

Romine and two other officers -- Kathy Sothard and Nancy McAllister --

had sued the department, charging that they were exposed to a sexually

hostile work environment and sought unspecified damages for lost wages,

emotional and mental distress.

A judge broke the lawsuit into three distinct cases. Both Sothard and

McAllister dropped their claims last year. McAllister entered into an

agreement with the city to drop the suit in exchange for a reinstatement

of accrued vacation and seniority as a custody officer in the city’s

jail.

The jury’s decision in the Romine case was not a surprise, said Costa

Mesa Police Chief David Snowden.

“I haven’t doubted for a second that the lawsuits were frivolous,” he

said.