California city settles anti-Asian discrimination lawsuits for $700,000

The city of Folsom, California, has paid $700,000 to two former police officers who sued over anti-Asian discrimination and whose departures have left their department without any Asian American officers, despite nearly 20% of city residents being Asian, according to settlement documents obtained by the Sacramento Bee.

The allegations and the settlement: James Dorris will receive $550,000 and Kimberly Lim-Watson will receive $150,000 in combined discrimination and workers compensation payments under agreements the city signed earlier this month. The officers described years of relentless racial harassment in complaints filed in 2023. For one, Dorris found anti-Asian stickers placed inside his locker, including one showing an Asian man shot in the head during the Vietnam War. His supervisor, Sgt. Tim Galovich, allegedly mocked Asian accents for over three years and made comments like, “A good way to make Dorris blind is to put a windshield in front of him,” referring to the racist stereotype that Asians cannot drive. Another sergeant, Roman Kehm, reportedly told Dorris, “Let me make it clear to you Dorris, Ching Cha Ching Chang Cho. Understand now?”

Meanwhile, Lim-Watson claimed that Sgt. Warner Herndon kicked her feet at the shooting range, then grabbed her by the ankles and dragged her several feet across the dirt. Human Resources, however, determined the complaint unfounded. In early 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic began, an officer played a song about “Chinese flu” with mocking Asian accents during a briefing while Galovich reportedly laughed. All three sergeants remain employed by the department, with one receiving a promotion.

Why this matters: The settlements expose systemic problems in workplace culture that undermine community trust and policing effectiveness. A department with zero Asian American officers serving a city where one in five residents is Asian reflects clear failures in recruitment, retention and inclusion. The documented behavior of racial slurs, physical mistreatment and stereotyping further created conditions so hostile that officers with nearly two decades of service left the force. Dorris served 17 years before his 2022 firing, while Lim-Watson endured discrimination dating back to 2005. Adding to concerns, Human Resources dismissed the complaints, allowing misconduct to persist without accountability.

Moving forward: City spokesperson Christine Brainerd told the Bee that Folsom settled without admitting liability or fault, calling it “the most responsible way to bring the issue to a close and avoid the expense and uncertainty of further litigation.” Meanwhile, Chief Adam Green, who was sworn in two weeks ago on Dec. 8, has expressed commitment to fair treatment for all employees. Still, the financial toll continues mounting as Folsom has reportedly spent about $860,000 on outside attorneys across four discrimination cases.