Los Angeles city attorneys are asking a judge to toss a discrimination and wage lawsuit brought by a longtime LAPD officer who says he was iced out of promotions because of his age and Latino heritage. The City argues the officer’s own sworn testimony shows his case leans on station-house chatter rather than hard evidence, in the latest twist to a dispute first filed in January 2024.
Officer Michael Anthony Estrada sued in January 2024, alleging that between 2019 and 2023 he applied four times for a senior lead officer job and was passed over each time. He also claims he was not paid for all hours worked, missed second meal breaks on 12-hour shifts, and received faulty itemized wage statements. According to the City’s May 28 filing, it is asking the court to throw out most of Estrada’s claims, arguing his deposition testimony undercuts his theory of discrimination, as reported by MyNewsLA.
Court filings and procedural history
Court records show the case is filed as 24STCV01808 and that Estrada’s original complaint packed in 15 causes of action, ranging from race and age discrimination to several wage-and-hour theories. A tentative ruling on August 15, 2024, sustained parts of the City’s demurrer, cut multiple counts and gave Estrada a chance to rewrite some of his claims, according to court documents. Those earlier decisions now set the stage for the City’s latest May 28 motion.
City Attorney: Promotions were merit-based
In the May 28 brief, the City Attorney’s Office says Estrada’s allegations rest on unnamed rumors, citing his deposition comment that “police officers just talk,” and argues that kind of hearsay cannot support a discrimination case. The motion highlights specific promotion decisions, asserting that a captain chose Janette Roman in February 2022 because panelists rated her highly and that a Latino candidate later filled a September 2023 opening. The City says Estrada has not shown those reasons were a cover for illegal bias, according to MyNewsLA.
What Estrada alleges
Estrada’s complaint claims he was repeatedly denied promotion and that the pattern amounts to unlawful race and age discrimination, along with a series of wage violations. Court filings indicate the original complaint ran from failure to promote to unpaid double-time and missed meal breaks, though several counts were later dismissed by the clerk. Estrada is seeking damages for lost promotional chances and alleged unpaid wages, while the City insists many of the remaining claims are too thin on facts to survive.
Why it matters
The fight unfolds against a broader debate over how LAPD manages its ranks and how those internal decisions spill over into community trust. Questions about workplace fairness inside the department are colliding with long-running concerns about how officers use their discretion on the street. As LAist has reported, city data and outside reviews have flagged racial disparities in discretionary stops and other enforcement practices, helping explain why discrimination suits involving LAPD personnel get close attention from residents and city leaders.
Legal outlook
For now, the key question is procedural: will the judge agree that Estrada’s core allegations are either not pleaded with enough detail or are built on inadmissible hearsay? If the court grants dismissal in whole or in part, Estrada could be given another chance to refine narrower claims or could find himself with a slimmer case heading into discovery and trial. The outcome will help shape how similar discrimination and wage suits are framed against public agencies across Los Angeles.
The case remains active in Los Angeles Superior Court, with both sides gearing up for the next round of motions and hearings. A hearing later this year is expected to clarify which claims, if any, survive and how the lawsuit will proceed from here.
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