By Brian CHERNICK

City of Glendale officials agreed to pay over half a million dollars in a settlement with a former police lieutenant who filed a lawsuit against the city alleging she was denied a promotion due to her race and gender.

Ludmilla Abrahamian served as a lieutenant for Glendale police since 2010 and filed suit in May 2016 alleging racial and gender biases held by then-Chief Robert Castro. She claimed this tainted the promotion process for a captain’s position in the department.

“This settlement is not an acknowledgement of any wrongdoing by the City or its employees,” Chief Assistant City Attorney Ann Maurer said in a statement. “The City’s position has and continues to be that the allegations of discrimination and retaliation are unfounded.”

According to the agreement, the $550,000 settlement is to be split between lost wages ($66,000), emotional distress or physical sickness ($264,000) and attorney fees ($220,000).

A portion of the settlement is to be paid by the City’s insurance carrier.

Abrahamian also agreed to retire from the department effective Dec. 28. Her lawyers did not respond to a request for comment.

Interviews for the captain’s position opened up in December 2015. There were six applicants. Abrahamian’s suit claimed she was denied the position despite being the most qualified.

“The chief of police made clear to the interviewers that he did not want a female or minority to be ranked in the top three positions,” the lawsuit alleged.

Prior to taking the position in Glendale in 2013, Castro had stated allegations of favoritism were widespread throughout the department and intended his first promotion to captain would be someone who would be able to bridge the gaps among the different people in the organization.

The department settled a similar lawsuit in 2015 that alleged that the GPD and then-chief of police Ron De Pompa “used administrative leave and internal affairs investigations … to intimidate and retaliate … if [officers] engaged the department in litigation or support those who do.”

Castro retired in late December after serving 32 years in law enforcement and four years as Glendale’s chief of police. Carl Povilaitis is currently serving in an interim role in that position.

  Brian CHERNICK