EXCLUSIVE: Racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, lurid affairs and a love song - How Beverly Hills Police Chief managed to quietly retire after costing city $8M in settlements over a string of scandalous claims and keep her $500k yearly pension
It is a scandal that ripped through Beverly Hills Police Department, dragging the force through the mud for four long years at a cost of $8 million in settlements and legal fees.
The shocking accusations leveled against celebrated Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli of racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, age discrimination and claims of a string of affairs with subordinates from more than 20 city staffers left a permanent 'stain' on the elite department, according to a lawyer representing many of the complainants.
The City of Beverly Hills tried to hold back the tide of claims for years, propping up the embattled chief while saddling taxpayers with the bill for settlements, judgments and court fees in the millions.
Yet last week, on a Saturday afternoon, news of 52-year-old Spagnoli's sudden retirement quietly slipped out into local media circles – guided by the cunning strategy of Harvey Weinstein's former crisis public relations specialist Michael Sitrick.
Rumors have swirled for months about when Spagnoli would finally be asked to leave.
A source close to the department told DailyMail.com that city councilors asked the chief to resign after the latest lawsuit against her hit the courts on March 30.
Beverly Hills Police Chief Sandra Spagnoli quietly announced her retirement last week, as DailyMail.com reveals the $8M lawsuit settlements she left in her wake
Spagnoli (center) is seen with subordinates. At least 21 current and former employees have filed civil lawsuits or employee complaints against Spagnoli
The source claimed Spagnoli agreed and sent a cryptic email to colleagues hinting at a 'big retirement announcement' before turning the pivotal moment into a joke.
'Instead of announcing her own retirement, she announced the retirement of a K9 unit,' the source said. 'People on the council flipped out. They said ''tomorrow you'll be fired or you resign''.'
Top trial lawyer Bradley Gage, who specializes in employment cases, told DailyMail.com the four-year scandal has been no laughing matter for his 12 clients, who claim they have been victims of Spagnoli's alleged racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and unwanted sexual advances.
Gage said the dozen officers are among 20 city staffers – almost 10 percent of the entire Beverly Hills police force – who made allegations against Spagnoli in court filings or HR complaints, in a scandal he said has badly damaged the reputation of the department.
'For them to keep a woman like her for so long and let things escalate the way they did, it's going to be known for years and people will look at them, I think, with a bit of a jaded eye,' the attorney said.
Lawyer Bradley Gage (pictured), who specializes in employment cases, told DailyMail.com the four-year scandal has been no laughing matter for his 12 clients, who claim they have been victims of Spagnoli's alleged racism, homophobia, anti-Semitism and unwanted sexual advances
According to the City of Beverly Hills, the total cost of the lawsuits involving Spagnoli was $7,925,000, including $2.3 million to settle the case of Lt. Mark Rosen, the first officer to stick his head above the parapet with claims of anti-Semitism.
A spokesman for the city told DailyMail.com that Spagnoli has 'previously acknowledged that some of her remarks, though intended in jest or as banter, were inappropriate for someone in her position and the city disciplined her appropriately.'
The spokesman added that Spagnoli has denied improper sexual relationships with employees.
DailyMail.com made several attempts to reach Spagnoli personally to respond to the allegations against her, but she did not get back to us.
According to the city, Spagnoli's resignation announcement 'was made expeditiously after the City Manager accepted the Chief's resignation, regardless of day of the week.'
In an email obtained by DailyMail.com, Spagnoli wrote to BHPD staff that her resignation would be effective May 15, and she would be taking vacation until then.
'It has been my honor to work with this team and believe we have a made a difference together for the Beverly Hills community,' the controversial chief wrote.
'I wish you all the best and remember ''One team, One Mission'' not only during the Pandemic, but always.'
Gage said when the first officer came to him describing Chief Spagnoli's conduct he was gobsmacked.
'It was so surprising and outrageous to me. I had trouble believing that they (the allegations) were true,' he told DailyMail.com.
But he said that as the numbers of accusers and the mounting evidence grew, he began to see the glamorous police chief in a different light.
Here DailyMail.com has trawled through the hundreds of pages of court documents, trial exhibits and depositions from more than 10 cases to detail a damning picture of the police chief's reign, a reign that her accusers claim has left the reputation of the once respected police force in tatters.
RACISM
In case after case, current and former BHPD officers claimed Spagnoli made racist comments and failed to punish police who did the same.
According to one lawsuit, Spagnoli used racist language when invited to a Latino employee's home.
Lieutenant Renato Moreno invited the chief to a holiday party at his home in December 2016. According to his legal claim against her and the City of Beverly Hills, she asked in response to the Latino officer's invitation, 'Do I have to dress Mexican?'
Moreno, a devout Catholic, claimed in legal papers that Spagnoli also called his religion a cult. 'People always told me my religion was a cult, do you want to know what's a cult? The Catholics, that's a cult,' the officer claimed Spagnoli said.
Lieutenant Renato Moreno (pictured with Spagnoli) invited the chief to a holiday party at his home in December 2016. According to his legal claim against her and the City of Beverly Hills, she asked in response to the Latino officer's invitation, 'Do I have to dress Mexican?'
Moreno, a devout Catholic, claimed in legal papers that Spagnoli also called his religion a cult. 'People always told me my religion was a cult, do you want to know what's a cult? The Catholics, that's a cult,' the officer claimed Spagnoli said
A jury awarded Moreno $350,000 after he sued the city as part of a $1.1 million case with three other plaintiffs.
Another BHPD staffer, David Brandon, sued the city for age and racial discrimination in 2017.
In his lawsuit, Brandon claimed Spagnoli demoted six black civilian supervisors and replaced them all with 'younger, Caucasian police sergeants with little to no supervisory experience for the job.'
Brandon claimed Spagnoli also cancelled a BHPD study aimed at improving salaries for minority employees.
Brandon's case is still pending, and has been delayed due to the coronavirus shutdown of LA courts.
In several other lawsuits against Spagnoli and the city it's alleged that around June 2015, two officers, Charles Yang and Stanley Shen, posted a video titled 'Yellow Fever with Soul' on YouTube, poking fun at African-Americans and Asian-Americans.
According to legal documents, the video included a sign saying 'nice tits', a shot of Yang 'holding a woman's buttocks', a 'racial stereotype' of a black man holding a chicken leg in his hand, and 'comments about slavery and ''master'' derogatory towards African Americans' by Shen.
In several of lawsuits against Spagnoli and the city it's alleged that around June 2015, two officers, Charles Yang and Stanley Shen (pictured together), posted a video titled 'Yellow Fever with Soul' on YouTube, poking fun at African-Americans and Asian-Americans
According to legal documents, the video (pictured) included a sign saying 'nice tits', a shot of Yang 'holding a woman's buttocks', a 'racial stereotype' of a black man holding a chicken leg in his hand, and 'comments about slavery and ''master'' derogatory towards African Americans' by Shen
Spagnoli herself was accused in the lawsuits of making 'stereotypical comments about the size of Asian men', and that she promoted a sergeant who shared the video and allegedly made other racist comments.
Yang and Shen took down their allegedly offensive video after being told to by the department. They are not plaintiffs in the lawsuits.
BHPD did not respond to questions from DailyMail.com about the video and did not offer comments from officers Yang or Shen.
Officers told Spagnoli that one of her sergeants, Scott Dowling, had 'laughed about the video and showed it to other members of the department,' despite BHPD telling the creators to take it down, according to the lawsuit.
Dowling told DailyMail.com he denied any wrongdoing, and said all of the allegations against him were ‘grossly inaccurate and lack merit’.
The officers told the chief that Dowling referred to black officers as 'stupid and lazy, and members of the black Mafia,' the legal documents claimed.
Dowling also allegedly complained about Jewish officers 'k**ing the food' and 'saying that they can wear those funny hats to cover bald spots.'
But according to several of Gage's legal complaints on behalf of BHPD officers, Spagnoli promoted Dowling to lieutenant 'within days of being told about Dowling's racist comments and the video.'
Dowling was named in the court papers but was not named as a defendant.
The claims about BHPD officers were all put to BHPD, with a request to ask the questions of the individual officers. The Department did not respond to the allegations of racist language against Dowling.
A legal complaint by BHPD officer Anne Marie Lunsman claimed that Spagnoli failed to punish another officer for calling someone a 'towel head' and the Spanish word for n***er.
The City of Beverly Hills settled with Lunsman for an undisclosed sum in September.
And another lawsuit filed by a police department parking enforcement supervisor, Gregory Routt, claimed he was the victim of racial discrimination.
The former police chief has previously said she is 'not racist' and that the claims were a 'smear campaign' by employees unhappy with her reforms.
ANTI-SEMITISM
In November 2018, Beverly Hills paid a $2.3 million settlement to Mark Rosen, a former police captain and the highest ranking Jewish member of the department, after he sued Spagnoli for denying him promotions and making anti-Semitic remarks.
Rosen's lawsuit claimed that Spagnoli referred to yarmulkes or kippah, the traditional Jewish cap, as 'funny little hats', and commented on the size of Rosen's nose.
In November 2018, Beverly Hills paid a $2.3 million settlement to Mark Rosen (pictured), a former police captain and the highest ranking Jewish member of the department, after he sued Spagnoli for denying him promotions and making anti-Semitic remarks
Rosen recounted one incident in October 2016, when he told the chief that he was being recognized by apparent strangers. Spagnoli responded, 'It's your nose', his lawsuit said.
Rosen highlighted another allegedly anti-Semitic comment he claimed Spagnoli made the next month.
'Spagnoli asked Rosen, ''Do you celebrate Thanksgiving?'' He responded, ''of course.'' Spagnoli then tried to clarify by saying, ''I mean, do your people celebrate Thanksgiving?''' his legal complaint said.
According to the court papers, in December that year, Spagnoli called a staff meeting and accused Rosen of giving information to a Jewish citizen who had addressed the city council the previous day, 'simply because both of them were Jewish.'
The same month, Spagnoli said 'isn't it a sacrilege for your people (Jews) not to invest in money?' the lawsuit claimed, adding that the chief told Catholic officers that 'all Catholic priests molest little children.'
When speaking about allegations that a Rabbi embezzled donation funds, Spagnoli asked Rosen 'don't your people have ethics rules regarding their Rabbis? I know the Catholics don't, at least not with the priests and children,' according to the legal papers.
When Rosen reported the 'anti-Semitic remarks', he claimed Spagnoli 'retaliated by taking away his managerial duties and transferring him to an inferior assignment.'
Anne Marie Lunsman (pictured), a member of BHPD, claimed in a lawsuit that her chief 'repeatedly made comments against lesbians.' Lunsman claimed Spagnoli reacted to the mention of a lesbian by saying 'ew' and 'refused to be in photographs next to lesbians'
HOMOPHOBIA
Anne Marie Lunsman, a member of BHPD, claimed in a lawsuit that her chief 'repeatedly made comments against lesbians.' even though she herself is not gay.
Lunsman claimed Spagnoli reacted to the mention of a lesbian by saying 'ew' and 'refused to be in photographs next to lesbians.'
'Around 2017 Spagnoli stated that thinking about what lesbian couples do makes her sick,' her lawsuit claimed.
Another officer who sued the city, Scott Dibble, claimed in his lawsuit that Spagnoli 'made comments such as 'ew, you mean she's a lesbian?' Just don't let her touch me or stand next to me.'
Spagnoli sent photographs of Lunsman when she was in her 20s to Lunsman and 'suggestively said, ''that was a beautiful picture by the way,''' the lawsuit claimed.
Lunsman, who is happy married with a daughter, claimed in her lawsuit that she was passed over for a promotion, saying she 'was one of four employees who applied for six open spots. The three men received spots, Lunsman was denied the opportunity without any legitimate reason.'
The City of Beverly Hills settled with Lunsman for an undisclosed sum in September.
SEX WITH SUBORDINATES
In multiple lawsuits, Spagnoli was accused of cheating on her husband Paul with subordinates at the Beverly Hills Police Department and at her previous job as chief at San Leandro Police Department in Northern California.
'She was previously the Chief of Police at San Leandro. When she left, she was accused of having sex with her subordinate and giving him benefits in exchange for those sexual favors,' a lawsuit brought by BHPD officer Scott Dibble in March claimed.
'Employees who engaged in sexual relations with the Chief were promoted. Those, like plaintiff who refused the quid pro quo were retaliated against, discriminated against and harassed.'
In multiple lawsuits, Spagnoli was accused of cheating on her husband with subordinates at the Beverly Hills Police Department and at her previous job as chief at San Leandro Police Department in Northern California. She is accused of having an affair with San Leandro Sergeant Joe Molettieri (pictured) and then promoted him to lieutenant. Sergeant Molettieri did not respond to DailyMail,com's request for comment
Spagnoli's husband Paul (left) remained in Northern California after she took her high flying Beverly Hills job. Spagnoli has a son Nicholas (center), in his early 20s, with Paul, a mortgage advisor and former police officer at San Jose Police Department. A source has told DailyMail.com the couple separated amid claims Spagnoli cheated, but in a 2019 deposition, Spagnoli refused to answer when asked if she had filed a divorce
According to the Beverly Hills Police Department in a statement emailed to DailyMail.com this month: 'The Chief has denied improper sexual relationships with employees,'
In the court papers Dibble claimed Spagnoli had an affair with San Leandro Sergeant Joe Molettieri and then promoted him to lieutenant, Sergeant Molettieri did not respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.
Dibble also claimed in court papers that Spagnoli 'marginalized' another officer named only as 'Luis T' when he 'turned her down for sex.'
The San Leandro Police Department did not respond to a request for comment, and did not provide any statement on behalf of Lt. Molettieri
Officer Dibble also claimed in legal papers that Spagnoli also had an affair with BHPD Assistant Chief Marc Coopwood, who told DailyMail.com the lawsuits’ claims he had an affair with Chief Spagnoli were ‘defaming and completely erroneous.’
Officer Dibble claimed Coopwood 'benefited from his sexual liaison by being hired as the Assistant Chief at Beverly Hills PD, instead of older, more experienced applicants who were not ''banging the chief''.'
Dibble claimed both Spagnoli and Coopwood 'went through divorces as a result of their extra-marital affair.'
Spagnoli's husband remained in Northern California after she took her high flying Beverly Hills job.
Spagnoli has a son Nicholas, in his early 20s, with husband Paul, a mortgage advisor and former police officer at San Jose Police Department.
A source has told DailyMail.com the couple separated amid claims Spagnoli cheated, but in a January 2019 video deposition as part of the Moreno case, Spagnoli refused to answer when asked if she had filed for divorce. 'I'm not answering personal questions,' she said.
The chief doubled down on her refusal to answer when quizzed as to whether her 'divorce' paperwork mentioned anything about her behavior while at Beverly Hills PD.
The chief is also accused of having an affair with BHPD officer Marc Coopwood (left), who 'benefited from his sexual liaison by being hired as the Assistant Chief at Beverly Hills PD, instead of older, more experienced applicants who were not ''banging the chief''according to a lawsuit filed by Officer Dibble. Assistant Chief Coopwood told DailyMail.com the lawsuits’ claims he had an affair with Chief Spagnoli were ‘defaming and completely erroneous.’
Dibble also named a fourth officer in the chain of alleged affairs, claiming Scott Dowling was promoted from Sergeant to Lieutenant after having sex with Spagnoli – despite being accused of making 'numerous racial slurs against African Americans'.
Dowling told DailyMail.com he denied any wrongdoing, and said all of the allegations against him were ‘grossly inaccurate and lack merit’.
In his lawsuit, Dibble claimed Spagnoli would make inappropriate sexual comments about officers.
'One male Sergeant used to ride his bicycle to work,' the lawsuit claimed. 'Spagnoli would comment about his body parts, including his genitals in the revealing cycling shorts. Another male employee was wearing a tight uniform. The chief seductively rubbed the employee's biceps and made comments about his physique.
'In a recent police chief's meeting, Spagnoli was referred to as a sexual predator,' the legal documents, filed on March 30, claimed.
Dibble, who is married, claimed he himself was 'subject to unwelcome sexual advances' from Spagnoli, and she denied him a promotion after he turned her down.
'Spagnoli sent Dibble (and other male employees) several provocative text messages designed to entice them into a sexual liaison to fulfill Spagnoli's lust,' his legal documents claimed.
'Some officers ''banged the chief'' as they put it. They were rewarded. Others refused, like Dibble, they were punished.'
Dibble claimed Spagnoli at first 'feigned an interest' in his career, but then started asking about his 'private life, including the status of his marriage, any marital issues, and other private matters.'
BHPD officer Scott Dibble (pictured) filed suit against Spagnoli, claiming she made unwanted sexual advances on him. Dibble, who is married, said she denied him a promotion after he turned her down. 'Spagnoli sent Dibble (and other male employees) several provocative text messages designed to entice them into a sexual liaison to fulfill Spagnoli's lust,' his legal documents claimed
The police chief is seen listening to the country song she sent Dibble in a video deposition about Dibble's suit. In an excruciating exchange Gage asks Spagnoli whether she thought it was 'appropriate' for the chief of police to send a love song to a subordinate
Lyrics to the song by singer Easton Corbin (pictured), which Gage played to Spagnoli on a laptop during her videoed deposition, included, 'love me baby, come on, come on, come on. Just throw your arms around me'
The officer claimed Spagnoli would text him late at night, had sent him a country love song called Are You with Me and asked him to drive to her home.
Lyrics to the song by singer Easton Corbin, which Gage played to Spagnoli on a laptop during her videoed deposition, included, 'love me baby, come on, come on, come on. Just throw your arms around me.'
The police chief is seen listening to the country song and in an excruciating exchange Gage asks Spagnoli whether she thought it was 'appropriate' for the chief of police to send a love song to a subordinate.
She responded that she and Officer Dibble would exchange songs because they had a 'common interest'.
'We exchanged a couple songs and they meant nothing and for somebody to read into that, it's unfortunate,' she said.
'After stopping inappropriate communications from the Chief, Spagnoli decided to retaliate against Dibble,' the officer claimed in his lawsuit.
'He has since been denied promotion several times, initially to Sergeant because of his refusal to have a sexual relationship with the Chief as part of a claim of harassment, discrimination and retaliation. Those that did have sex with the Chief, were promoted, or hired for jobs,' the legal filing said.
Spagnoli and the City of Beverly Hills have not filed an official reply to the lawsuit, filed on March 30 in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The courts are currently closed for non-emergency cases due to the coronavirus shutdown.
AGE DISCRIMINATION
Spagnoli was accused by several BHPD officers of age discrimination in their lawsuits.
Officer David Brandon claimed in his lawsuit that Spagnoli told him in a September 2016 meeting that 'she knew he was ''of retirement age''.'
'Spagnoli proceeded to threaten Plaintiff that, if he did not agree to retire immediately, he would be investigated and disciplined for a co-worker's harassment accusation that was, by this time, already eight years old, had been previously investigated, and was dismissed for lack of evidence,' Brandon claimed.
Officer Clark Fogg, 58, (pictured) had been working for BHPD since 1984. He launched an age discrimination and harassment lawsuit against the city in 2018, claiming Spagnoli 'regularly made disparaging remarks about Plaintiff's age to Plaintiff and subjected him to a barrage of adverse employment actions based on his age'
The officer said in legal documents that Spagnoli pressured him 'three or four more times' over a week to take retirement, threatening a 15 percent pay cut.
When Brandon, a black man, retired soon after, his lawsuit said he was replaced by a 'significantly younger' white officer.
Brandon's case is still pending, and has been delayed due to the coronavirus shutdown of LA courts.
Officer Clark Fogg, 58, had been working for BHPD since 1984. He launched an age discrimination and harassment lawsuit against the city in 2018, claiming Spagnoli 'regularly made disparaging remarks about Plaintiff's age to Plaintiff and subjected him to a barrage of adverse employment actions based on his age.'
Fogg claimed that in April 2016, the chief asked him ''When are you going to retire? Don't you think there are other people that want to promote to your position?'' and then demoted him.
In legal documents, Fogg claimed Spagnoli also told him: 'You have worked for the Department a long time and that someone my age (she brushed her side of her head- indicating my grey hair on my side burns) should retire and let someone younger take over the supervision of the lab.
'''Why do you have a hard time dealing with the subject of retirement – seems that it's not a hard decision – you should really consider moving on'',' he claimed she said.
The City settled with Fogg for an undisclosed sum.
In Dibble's lawsuit he claimed Spagnoli said Beverly Hills traffic control officer Pat Hamilton was 'too old or too gray to be directing traffic'. After Hamilton retired, she placed a cone saying 'Caution Slow Senior Old Zone' near to his desk, the court filing claimed.
Spagnoli was also accused in legal documents of complaining another officer was 'driving like an old man' and that he 'would never be promoted as her executive officer because ''he couldn't drive''.'
THE REFORMER
Despite the claims of affairs at her previous police chief job in Northern California, it appears nobody in Beverly Hills saw the multi-million dollar controversy coming when Spagnoli was hired.
After the department announced its new chief in 2016 - the force's first female Chief of Police - glossy fashion magazine Vogue ran a glowing feature and glamorous photoshoot on Spagnoli, describing her as a 'veteran known for her high ethical standards'.
The article gushed that the new chief followed her father's values to, 'treat people fairly and don't abuse that power', and described her intent to break the 'glass ceiling' ever since she joined the police force as a cadet.
After the department announced its new chief in 2016 - the force's first female Chief of Police - glossy fashion magazine Vogue ran a glowing feature and glamorous photoshoot on Spagnoli, describing her as a 'veteran known for her high ethical standards'
And some of the highest-ranking City officials still went to bat for the embattled police chief even as the lawsuits against her piled up.
Beverly Hills Mayor John Mirisch came to Spagnoli's defense last year in a statement to a local newspaper.
'It's very difficult for some people to deal with a female police chief,' Mirisch, who was then Vice Mayor, told the Beverly Press. 'There are also people who are being egged on because they see money. We live in a very litigious society.
'That's not to say we don't take a troublesome work environment very seriously, but there comes a point when people are trying to shake down the city. It smacks of political opportunism and support for an agenda.'
However, the announcement made last week that Spagnoli is quitting the force may not stop the tide of legal claims.
Attorney Gage, 60, a successful trial lawyer with more than 20 settlements that were $1 million plus under his belt, told DailyMail.com he will keep fighting for clients he believes have been wronged.
'I don't think the problem has gone away, which means the lawsuits will continue,' he said.
'Just because they throw everything at me and spend millions and millions of dollars of attorney's fees doesn't mean I'll be deterred.'
And despite the stack of lawsuits costing the city in excess of $8 million, Gage said it only put a small dent in the giant pot set aside for potential claims.
'The City had, I was told, an $80 million fund to defend these cases, pay the lawyers and pay any clients. Beverly Hills is quite rich, and when you're that rich you can afford to do what you like,' he said.
'But it's not the money of the city council or the chief of police at stake. It's the taxpayer's dollars, or the insurance company.
'And so there's really no personal accountability. They get to just do what they want. It's like a fiefdom. And if they get caught, so what? It's not coming out of their pockets.'
Gage estimated that Spagnoli will retire with a generous pension of 'between $400,000 and $500,000 a year.'
'She stands to make between $16 million and $20 million, leaving the city in the lurch that she left them in,' he said.
'She'll wind up with more money than my clients, more money than the lawyers all combined for both sides.'
