Fresno Police Union Settles Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Filed by Former Business Manager

Anna Pine's sexual harassment lawsuit against the Fresno Police Officers Association ended in a settlement this week, closing a case that alleged the union's president, Sgt. Jeff La Blue, made repeated unwanted sexual advances toward her and fired her when she refused them.

Pine filed the lawsuit Jan. 22 in Fresno County Superior Court, seeking no less than $1.95 million from the FPOA and La Blue, who serves as a Fresno Police Department sergeant assigned full-time to union duties. Her attorney, Brian Whelan, confirmed the settlement Thursday. The amount was not disclosed.

"The dispute has been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties, and no further proceedings are anticipated," Whelan said in a written statement shared jointly with the FPOA. "The resolution reflects a compromise and should not be construed as an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any party."

Pine joined the FPOA in 2021 as its business manager and treasurer. The complaint alleged that La Blue's advances began around December 2023, after Pine was headed toward a divorce, and that the two exchanged explicit electronic communications through March 2024. The lawsuit stated their relationship was never physical and emphasized the power imbalance between Pine and La Blue, who was her direct supervisor.

After Pine attempted to set limits and return to a professional working relationship, the complaint alleged the situation deteriorated. Around December 2024 and January 2025, the lawsuit alleged, La Blue sat next to Pine during a retirement committee meeting and used his foot to caress her leg. When she pulled away, he reacted negatively. Pine was terminated in August, which she alleged was retaliation for rejecting his advances on at least two occasions and for seeking guidance from human resources.

The complaint quoted in court filings described the firing as "retaliatory and rooted in sex-based hostility and the systematic degradation of Plaintiff authority after she rejected La Blue's advances, opposed misconduct, and sought HR guidance."

At the time of her termination, the lawsuit alleged, Pine was offered just under $64,000 in severance conditioned on her silence about what had occurred. The complaint argued that offer violated California's Silenced No More Act, which prohibits using severance or settlement terms to suppress disclosure of sexual harassment or retaliation. "The offer itself evidences Defendants' intent to buy silence rather than address misconduct," the complaint stated.

Pine agreed to dismiss with prejudice all claims against the FPOA and La Blue as part of the resolution. A case management conference had been scheduled for June 30 before Judge Maria G. Diaz in Fresno County Superior Court, though no further hearings are now anticipated. The city of Fresno was not named in the lawsuit, and La Blue and the FPOA did not respond to requests for comment beyond the joint statement.

The settlement comes roughly a week after a separate $1.7 million settlement was reached with former Fresno Police sergeant Stacie Szatmari, who alleged wrongful termination and sexual harassment, including exposure to racist and homophobic content in a department work group chat. Pine's case now joins a growing record of workplace misconduct litigation involving Fresno law enforcement personnel.