A black female arson investigator is suing the city of Los Angeles for discrimination, retaliation and a “hostile work environment,” saying the Los Angeles Fire Department did nothing to stop her harassment.
Afara Lalaind, who filed her civil suit Thursday at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, also alleges that her reputation “has been ruined” and that her opportunity for advancement has been dashed.
She is seeking damages of more than $25,000, including loss of income and employment benefits and the anxiety and distress she says she suffered.
Calls and emails to Lalaind's attorney and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office were not immediately returned.
Lalaind, 39, is a Bay Area native and works for the Los Angeles Fire Department. Arson Investigator and one of the first two female board members Los Angeles County's Raucousan association of African Americans in the fire service.
Lalaind worked as a firefighter-paramedic for six years with the LAFD before requesting a transfer to Fire Station No. 57 in South Los Angeles in early 2022, according to the lawsuit.
She was the only female firefighter at the station and “expected to be welcomed and treated with respect,” according to the lawsuit.
However, on her first day, station captain Michael Boutte ordered her to work alone on a three-person firefighting operation while the rest of the station watched, according to the lawsuit. Lalaind also claims she was not given keys or standard operating guidelines that day, as is customary for new employees.
The suit alleges that Boutte “suffered from some form of gender bias” and treated Lalaind differently than her male counterparts.
Lalaind alleges that Boutte tried to prevent her from seeking another position at Fire Station No. 57 within a few months of her arrival, favoring a temporary employee instead.
Lalaind eventually wrote to a fire chief about the position, prompting Boutte to accuse her of “overlooking him,” according to the lawsuit.
In April 2022, Boutte filed a complaint against Lalaind for allegedly “being discourteous to a member of the public” at a grocery store and purchasing alcohol for cooking while on duty, according to the lawsuit. Lalaind claimed in the suit that she was owed progressive discipline before a formal complaint was filed.
Lalaind said in May that a fire chief publicly reprimanded her for “causing trouble” at the fire station. She responded by reporting the “hostile work environment” created by Boutte to two fire chiefs. Neither investigated her complaints or took any action, according to the lawsuit.
Lalaind claimed that from late May through June 2022, she changed shifts “due to the unbearable stress and anxiety caused by working alongside Captain Boutte,” the lawsuit says.
In August, Lalaind filed a formal complaint against Boutte, accusing him of creating a hostile work environment based on her gender.
Lalaind once again claimed the department failed to properly vet her claims and allowed Boutte to “intimidate witnesses.”
In October, the fire captain filed another complaint against Lalaind for timekeeping issues and failing to follow an order, the lawsuit alleges.
Lalaind said she received a brief reprieve in October when she was temporarily transferred to Fire Station No. 46 near Figueroa's South Corridor. However, there she was told she was restricted from using certain firefighting equipment and vehicles and was given no explanation, according to the lawsuit.
That month, the suit says, she was placed on a performance improvement plan that was only rescinded in February 2023 due to a letter from the Stentorians about Lalaind's treatment.
A turning point came in July 2023, when Lalaind claims another fire captain, Brandon Taulli, conducted an “unlawful search” of his car, according to the lawsuit. Taulli alleged Lalaind improperly stored a firearm.
Later that month, Lalaind and a group of other firefighters were subjected to firearms storage training, “further embarrassing her.”
Taulli subsequently filed his own lawsuit against the city, alleging retaliation, discrimination and damages as a result of the incident. In the lawsuit, he claims that since filing and reporting the complaint, he has been “harassed, discriminated against and retaliated against” by Lalaind and the Fire Department.
Taulli said “false and malicious statements” had been made against him regarding “illegal vehicle registration, theft, blackmail, extortion, racism and sexism.”
Lalaind and Taulli are pursuing jury trials.
