--- title: "$8.4M Verdict: Ross Byer v. City of La Palma Discrimination" meta: "og:description": "Jury awarded former officer Ross Byer $8.4 million after finding the City of La Palma liable for racial discrimination, retaliation, and constructive discharge." "og:title": "$8.4M Verdict: Ross Byer v. City of La Palma Discrimination" description: "Jury awarded former officer Ross Byer $8.4 million after finding the City of La Palma liable for racial discrimination, retaliation, and constructive discharge." --- February 5, 2026 # **$8.4M Verdict: Ross Byer v. City of La Palma Discrimination** Jury awarded former officer Ross Byer $8.4 million after finding the City of La Palma liable for racial discrimination, retaliation, and constructive discharge. [**Labor and Employment Law**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/84m-verdict-ross-byer-v-city-of-la-palma-discrimination/jury-verdict/category/labor-and-employment-law) [**Wrongful Termination/Employment**](https://exlitem.com/jury-verdict/84m-verdict-ross-byer-v-city-of-la-palma-discrimination/jury-verdict/category/wrongful-termination-employment) ### **Outline** Author ![](https://media.jurimatic.com/cdn-cgi/image/q=70/profile_images/shared_image_1.webp) **Sohini Chakraborty****Sohini Chakraborty is a lawyer, with over two years of experience in legal research and analysis. She specializes in working closely with expert witnesses, offering critical support in preparing legal research and detailed case studies.** ![Article Image](https://media.jurimatic.com/cdn-cgi/image/q=70/images/ROSS_BYER.webp) Ross Byer, a former police officer for the City of La Palma, alleged that he faced a hostile work environment and racial discrimination under the supervision of Sergeant Koh. Byer, a Caucasian officer, claimed that Koh openly expressed a desire for an "all-Korean police force" and pressured him to engage in unethical policing, including profiling minority suspects. After Byer reported these concerns to department leadership, he faced intensified scrutiny and poor performance reviews, which he argued were retaliatory. The legal battle culminated in a jury finding that the City's actions led to Byer's constructive discharge and that racial bias was a motivating factor in his treatment. On December 9, 2025, an Orange County jury awarded Byer $8.4 million for past and future emotional distress, marking a significant victory against municipal workplace discrimination. ## **Case Background** Ross Byer, a Caucasian male, started his career as a police officer for the City of La Palma in May 2022. After completing his initial three-month training, he received a positive six-month evaluation and earned commendations for his investigative skills and teamwork. However, his professional environment shifted when he began working under Sergeant Koh, a Korean American officer. ### **Cause** Byer alleged that Sergeant Koh created a hostile work environment driven by racial bias. According to the complaint, Koh openly expressed a desire for an "all-Korean police force" and pressured Byer to engage in unethical practices, such as profiling minority suspects and conducting stops without probable cause. When Byer refused to follow these directives, Koh allegedly threatened his employment and issued poor performance evaluations. ### **Injury** The situation reached a breaking point on June 8, 2023, when Byer felt he had no choice but to resign, a move he characterized as a constructive discharge. He claimed that the City’s actions caused him severe and ongoing emotional distress. Furthermore, Byer alleged that the department and Sergeant Koh actively tried to blacklist him, preventing him from finding comparable work in law enforcement after his departure. ### **Damages Sought** Byer sought compensation for a variety of losses resulting from the City’s conduct. His demands included: - Past and future lost wages and benefits. - Damages for emotional distress, including mental suffering, anxiety, and humiliation. - Attorneys' fees and litigation costs. - Civil penalties under the Labor Code. - A permanent injunction to prevent the City from committing similar violations in the future. ## **Key Arguments and Proceedings** The legal battle centered on whether the City of La Palma had allowed racial discrimination and retaliation to push a decorated officer out of his job. ### **Legal Representation** **Plaintiff:** Ross Byer - **Counsel for Plaintiff:** Christian J. Petronelli | Mitchel Vanderpool **Defendant:** **City of La Palma**. - **Counsel for Defendant:** Elizabeth M. Kessel | Armineh Megrabyan | Martha Cohen ## **Key Arguments or Remarks by Counsel** ### **Claims** Byer’s legal team argued that the City violated several California laws. They claimed that the City discriminated against Byer based on his race and color, violating the Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). They further asserted that when Byer reported these issues to his captain, the City failed to investigate and instead retaliated against he, eventually forcing him to quit. The complaint also included charges of wrongful termination in violation of public policy and both intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress. ### **Defense** The City of La Palma issued a general denial of all allegations. Their defense team argued that any actions taken regarding Byer’s employment were based on legitimate, non-discriminatory, and non-retaliatory business reasons. They claimed that Byer’s resignation was not a constructive discharge and that he had failed to exhaust all administrative remedies before filing suit. Additionally, the City maintained that it was immune from certain claims under government code and that Byer had failed to mitigate his own damages. ## **Jury Verdict** On December 9, 2025, the jury reached a unanimous decision in favor of Ross Byer on all primary counts. **Discrimination and Retaliation** The jury found that the City of La Palma subjected Byer to adverse employment actions and a constructive discharge. They specifically determined that Byer’s race, ethnicity, or national origin was a substantial motivating reason for the City's decisions. The jurors also concluded that Byer’s reporting of discrimination was a substantial factor in the City's retaliatory conduct. Crucially, the jury rejected the City's "mixed-motive" defense, finding that the City would not have taken the same actions based on Byer's job performance alone. **Failure to Prevent Harassment** The jury further ruled that the City failed to take all reasonable steps to prevent the discrimination and retaliation from occurring. They determined that this failure was a substantial factor in causing harm to Byer. **Awarded Damages** The jury awarded Ross Byer a total of **$8,400,000.00**. The compensation was broken down as follows: - **Past Noneconomic Loss:** Approximately **$3,921,000** for mental suffering, anxiety, and humiliation experienced up to the trial. - **Future Noneconomic Loss:** **$4,480,000** for the ongoing emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life he is expected to face in the future. 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