EL MONTE COP SUES MAYOR OF EL MONTE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

El Monte, CA (September 23, 2011) –  A 10 year veteran of the El Monte Police Department is suing Mayor Andre Quintero and other individuals for defamation, intentionally inflicting emotional distress, and retaliating against him for exercising free speech.  Corporal Ben Lowry decided to support a Wal-Mart development that promised to bring steady revenue to El Monte. This was important to him because the El Monte Police Department laid off 17 of his fellow police officers due to revenue shortfalls in 2009.
 
Mayor Andre Quintero, who is up for re-election in November, and El Monte Police Officers Association President Brian Glick opposed bringing in the Wal-Mart, although a vote showed that a large majority of the Police Union members were in favor of the development.  Because of the disconnect, Lowry launched a re-call of the union president.  He also spoke out in public about the benefits of having a Wal-Mart in the City and how it was needed to maintain critical public safety staffing levels. That's when the warnings came.  
 
In text messages from police union leaders, Lowry was told that he needed to "align" himself with the Mayor and that it was in his "best interest career wise." He was told that he should not challenge the Mayor on the Wal-Mart issue if he wanted to retire "on the high end of things." He was also told "not to get pissed when things start to happen" since he was advised "not to get involved."
 
He soon learned that Mayor Quintero had sent several e-mails out to police and various people in the City saying the only reason Lowry supported a re-call of the union president was because the police chief promised him a promotion to sergeant, a false allegation. Because of the lies told about him, and the attempts to muzzle him Lowry now fears for his safety, worries that he won't receive the necessary backup out in the field, has suffered damage to his professional reputation, and has been shunned and labeled as a persona non-grata with other police officers.  
 
"My client is suing because he has no other option to restore his good reputation and to stop this from happening to other officers," said Okorie Okorocha, Lowry's lawyer.  
 
For reference, see case number CV11-07738, Federal District Court in Los Angeles.
 
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Contact Okorie Okorocha at
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