Belleville IL. approves $700,000 settlement to end bias lawsuit

Jet, April 10, 1995

The city of Belleville, IL, has decided to pay $700,000 to end a lawsuit filed by the U.S. Justice Department which alleged racial and sexual discrimination in the city's past hiring policies.

The out-of-court settlement reached recently by the Belleville City Council will end the battle over charges that the city discriminated against Blacks and women in hiring for municipal jobs.

Under the proposed settlement, the city will set aside $450,000 for a back-pay pool that the Justice Department will distribute to former job applicants who can prove in court they were victims of the city's discriminatory hiring practices.

Belleville also will have to pay another $250,000 to fund pensions for 28 Blacks and women that the city will be required to hire as city jobs become available.

Under a consent decree that the city must sign to end the legal action, Belleville admits no guilt.