Anchorage reaches $300K settlement with former police officer in discrimination lawsuit

The city has agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit with a former Anchorage police officer who sued the department and municipality for racial discrimination in 2019.

Jared Tuia, who is Samoan, sued the city and Anchorage Police Department after he was passed over for promotions several times, according to a complaint filed in the case. Tuia had worked for the department for 20 years and was serving as a lieutenant when he filed the lawsuit, the complaint said. He left the department in 2020, according to police spokeswoman Shelly Wozniak.

During his time at the department, Tuia served as coordinator and instructor at the academy, patrol officer supervisor and lieutenant, and commander of numerous units including the domestic violence, K9, emergency operations, traffic, inspections, and property crimes units.

He was also recognized within the department for excelling in assignments and obtained further education related to his work, the complaint said.

Despite his “excellent service record,” academic achievements, seniority and years as a lieutenant, Tuia was denied promotions to captain in 2015, 2017 and 2018 while employees with fewer qualifications were given the jobs, it said.

The case began when Tuia filed a complaint with the Equal Opportunity Commission in 2018. He received a “right to sue letter” in 2019 after the municipality and police department refused to mediate the dispute, the lawsuit said.

The case was dismissed last month, according to court records. A report presented to the Assembly on Friday by the municipal attorney on settlements reached during the third quarter included a $300,000 agreement with Tuia. The municipal attorney did not respond to a message about the settlement.

Tuia is happy to have reached the agreement after five years, his attorney Caitlin Shortell said Tuesday. She declined to comment further or provide additional details about the agreement.

When he asked why he was not promoted in 2015, Tuia “was told he could accomplish great things, ‘somewhere other than the APD,’” the complaint said. When he was passed over again in 2018, he was told the decision had already been made before applications were accepted, according to the complaint.

The department does not have performance evaluations and promotions were based on subjective interviews, the complaint said.

Asked this week about the claims involving the department’s evaluations and promotions, Wozniak said the department instead “uses a system comprised of commendations, early warnings and disciplinary action.”

The manner of promoting employees violated the municipality’s equal employment opportunity policy, which seeks to “ensure that its overall employment practices and procedures are nondiscriminatory,” the complaint said.

In 2017, the municipality paid out nearly $2 million after a jury determined two former detectives were discriminated and retaliated against after raising the issue of racial discrimination.