A former employee and the Fresno Police Officers Association union have settled a wrongful termination and retaliation case, the woman’s attorney confirmed Thursday.
Former business manager Anna Pine filed a lawsuit in January accusing FPOA union President Jeff La Blue of unwanted sexual advances and then retaliation for firing her after she rebuffed him. The filing asked for no less than $1.95 million, according to the court records.
Her attorney, Brian Whelan, confirmed the settlement on Thursday. He declined to disclose the amount.
“The dispute has been resolved to the satisfaction of the parties, and no further proceedings are anticipated,” a written statement from Whelan said. “The resolution reflects a compromise and should not be construed as an admission of liability or wrongdoing by any party.”
The statement said the claim would be dismissed, and no further court hearings were expected.
La Blue and FPOA, the union that represents Fresno police officers, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The city of Fresno was not named in the lawsuit.
Pine started with FPOA in 2021 and worked as the business manager and treasurer. She was terminated last August, according to her lawsuit.
Pine’s lawsuit said the sexual advances began after she was headed toward a divorce around December 2023. The lawsuit says the two participated in a sexting relationship from then to March 2024, adding there was a power imbalance between Pine and La Blue, her supervisor. Their relationship was never physical, the lawsuit said.
She later attempted to set boundaries and return to a more professional relationship, the lawsuit said.
La Blue sat next to Pine sometime around December 2024 and January 2025 during a retirement committee meeting before he used his foot to caress Pine’s leg. She pulled away and he reacted negatively, the lawsuit says.
The complaint says the FPOA workplace was “wired for continuous audio and video recording,” noting the union’s own policy is that employees do not have any expectation of privacy.
A recording from April 2025 caught La Blue talking to another employee and calling Pine “a f—ing bitch” and saying her menstrual cycle was “a f—ing nightmare.”
The FPOA said in an earlier statement following the lawsuit that Pine “was terminated for cause following documented performance and conduct issues.” The union denied the allegations in Pine’s complaint.
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Reporter Thaddeus Miller has covered cities in the central San Joaquin Valley since 2010, writing about everything from breaking news to government and police accountability. A native of Fresno, he joined The Fresno Bee in 2019 after time in Merced and Los Banos.