Cuiellette
Cuiellette v. City of Los Angeles
Opinion
Lead Opinion
Mosk, J.
*760 Opinion
INTRODUCTION
Defendant and appellant the City of Los Angeles (defendant or City) appeals from a judgment of $1,571,500 in favor of plaintiff and respondent Rory Cuiellette (plaintiff), a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officer, on his claims of disability discrimination and failure to accommodate a disability under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act, Government Code section 12900 et seq. (FEHA). 1 On appeal, defendant contends that substantial evidence does not support the trial court’s liability determination because the evidence showed that plaintiff was unable to perform the essential duties of a police officer with or without a reasonable accommodation. Even if defendant could not perform all of the essential functions of a police officer, he could perform the essential functions of a position into which he had been placed by the LAPD as a reasonable accommodation in accordance with its then existing practice. Accordingly, we hold that substantial evidence supports the trial court’s determination that defendant is liable for a FEHA violation, and therefore affirm the judgment.