Attorneys awarded $700000 in sergeant's gay slurs case

SANTA ANA – A judge today awarded more than $700,000 to lawyers representing a Newport Beach police sergeant who convinced a jury he was denied promotions because of false rumors about his sexuality.

The $706,775 attorneys-fees ruling follows a jury verdict in March giving Sgt. Neil Harvey $1.2 million as compensation for alleged gossip and career setbacks related to rumors about his sexual orientation.

Harvey, a 27-year veteran, alleged in a lawsuit against the city that false rumors about him being gay cost him promotions since the mid-1990s. In addition, Harvey felt humiliation and embarrassment after being falsely labeled in an already homophobic environment, lead plaintiff's attorney John Girardi said today.

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