Huntington Beach pays up to settle gay cop's discrimination suit

Officer Adam Bereki had been with the Huntington Beach Police Department for about a year when rumors began to swirl about his sexual orientation. Then the jokes and harassment began. One officer simulated having anal sex with him during a training class. He was told he would "make a great cross-dresser" and was asked if a doctor's visit was triggered by his "HIV kicking in." Bereki, who joined the force in 2001, alleges in a lawsuit that he endured this kind of harassment for five years despite complaining numerous times, including once to the chief, according to the OC Register.

"It seems from this case that a gay in the cop culture is trouble," said his attorney, James Trout. "They really relentlessly harassed and ridiculed him. They made his life miserable and he couldn't tolerate it anymore."

The department said the chief did launch an internal investigation after being notified of the harassment and is scheduled to meet with officers named in Bereki's lawsuit this month. Without admitting any guilt, the Huntington Beach City Council quietly settled the suit in April. Bereki, 29, received a $150,000 lump sump and will also get $4,000 a month in disability payments for the rest of his life. The total payout could reach $2.15 million.

-- Jesus Sanchez

Photo: Huntington Beach Police Department website