February 15, 2012
Deputy who arrested Gibson settles with department
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Mel Gibson. Photo by REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian
The sheriff’s deputy who arrested actor Mel Gibson and was the subject of his anti-Semitic rant is settling a religious discrimination case against his department.
James Mee, who is Jewish, says he was subject to religions discrimination and a hostile work environment after arresting Gibson in 2006.
Mee claims that his supervisors ordered him to remove Gibson’s anti-Semitic remarks from the official incident report, placing them instead in a confidential supplemental report. He claims he was passed over for promotions in the department because he complained about purging the report.
Mee’s attorneys said a $50,000 settlement was reached with the department, subject to approval by the county claims board.
A trial set to begin this week, at which it was rumored that Gibson could be called as a witness, was cancelled.
