Mueller

Plaintiff Steven Mueller, a firefighter with the County of Los Angeles Fire Department (the department), appeals from a judgment entered in favor of the County of Los Angeles (the county) on plaintiff’s complaint. The complaint charges the county and its department personnel with conducting a negligent investigation into his complaints of harassment and retaliation, and with breach of the firefighters’ union contract with the county, whistleblower retaliation against plaintiff, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The county removed the case to the federal district court, where the cause of action on plaintiff’s federal claim (violation of plaintiff’s federal rights under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 ) was adjudicated against him in a summary judgment and the case was then remanded back to state court for adjudication of plaintiff’s remaining causes of action. Those claims were decided in the county’s favor in the trial court’s order granting the county’s motion for summary judgment. It is from the judgment thereafter entered from which plaintiff now appeals. We find no cause to reverse and therefore the judgment will be affirmed.

BACKGROUND OF THE CASE

1. Plaintiff’s…