MEDINA, Wash. (AP) — The city of Medina is paying $1.7 million to a former police lieutenant whose firing was deemed to be too harsh a punishment for the racially derogatory comments he made. The Seattle Times reports that the settlement with former Lt. Roger Skinner awards him about four years of back pay and […]
Chen trial set for August 11th
By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly Jeffrey Chen’s long wait for his retrial to determine whether he was the victim of racial discrimination will soon come to an end when his lawsuit<!–more–> against the City of Medina goes to trial August 11th. Chen, the former police chief of Medina, filed a lawsuit on December 16, […]
Trial postponed in Jeff Chen case of discrimination
By Jason Cruz Northwest Asian Weekly The jury trial of ousted Medina Police Chief Jeffrey Chen has been postponed from the original date of April 28. The trial, which will take place in Western Washington District Court, is scheduled to begin July 28, 2014.<!–more–> Chen filed a lawsuit on Dec. 16, 2011, against the City […]
Judge in Chen v. Medina case recuses himself
By Sue Misao Northwest Asian Weekly In response to an order for a new trial in his racial discrimination case against the City of Medina and former Medina City Manager Donna Hanson, former Medina police chief Jeffrey Chen filed a motion on Oct. 31 requesting that Judge Thomas S. Zilly recuse himself. Eight days later, […]
APDC votes to back Jeff Chen in Medina case
By Charles Lam Northwest Asian Weekly The Asian Pacific Directors Coalition (APDC) voted on Sept. 11 to officially
Federal judge vacates Chen decision
By Charles Lam Northwest Asian Weekly A federal judge vacated a $2 million jury decision for former Medina Police Chief Jeffrey Chen on Aug. 23, citing misconduct by his attorney in influencing the jury. Chen sued the city of Medina over his dismissal in April 2011, charging that it had been racially motivated. The city […]
EDITORIAL: Zilly decision, an unpleasant surprise
Federal Judge Thomas Zilly’s decision to overturn the Jeffrey Chen verdict last week came as a surprise — for more reasons than one. It was the first time in Zilly’s 25 years as a judge that he overturned a jury decision, but what’s even more shocking is how long it took to come to the […]
Medina divided over Chen appeal — City sees full chambers concerning discrimination suit
By Charles Lam Northwest Asian Weekly While Medina citizens are still divided on the issue, the Medina City Council is deciding what
Commentary: “Medina: Do the right thing”
Medina recently lost a major racial discrimination lawsuit filed by former Police Chief Jeff Chen. Now, the city must decide whether to appeal or not. An appeal would be the wrong thing to do and a waste of taxpayers’ money. Here’s why …
Chen wins case, jury awards $2 million to former Medina chief
By Charles Lam Northwest Asian Weekly A federal jury found on Tuesday, March 26 that Medina city manager Donna Hanson’s firing of former Police Chief