City of Bellevue, police lieutenant cleared in retaliation lawsuit

A Bellevue police officer has lost a retaliation lawsuit she filed against the City of Bellevue and her former supervisor.

A federal jury ruled against Officer Jan Trizuto, who claimed that Bellevue police Lt. Daniel Young routinely belittled and yelled at her after she made accusations that a close friend of his on the department was sexually harassing her.

The jury of three women and five men heard arguments in the case last week and reached a verdict this week.

“We believe the city employee, Police Officer Jan (Auclair) Trizuto, had a full and fair opportunity to present her position to the jury,” Bellevue Assistant City Attorney Cheryl Zakrzewski told KIRO Radio in an email. “The jury heard the testimony and evidence presented by each party and found in favor of the City and Lt. Daniel Young.”

Officer Trizuto and her attorneys had argued that Lt. Young “began subjecting her to negative treatment, which included public ridicule and public threats of discipline,” after allegations surfaced that another officer on the department shared stories of sexual conquest with her and sent her inappropriate text messages.

“No matter what I did or said or (how I) acted I was always wrong. I could not please (Lt. Young),” Officer Trizuto testified before the jury last week at the federal courthouse in Seattle. “I lost my confidence as an officer and it took me a while to get it back.”

An attorney for Lt. Young argued that Officer Trizuto had a documented history of bending the rules and blaming other officers for her problems.

Emily Christensen, a spokesperson for the City of Bellevue, said the lawsuit will not affect Officer Trizuto’s continued employment as a school resource officer.

“The Bellevue Police Department and the City of Bellevue remain committed to providing their employees with all the rights and privileges to which they are entitled under state and federal law,” Zakrzewski said.

Brian Boice, an attorney for Trizuto, could not be reached for comment Thursday by phone or by email.

The officer at the center of the sexual harassment allegations was eventually cleared by an internal police investigation and remains with the department.