At a Special Board Meeting at 1:00 p.m., on Tuesday, December 6, 2016, board members voted unanimously to settle a lawsuit that originated in 2004. At that time, the Police Department was dissolved and then quickly reformed, leaving out two part-time officers, who had filed a complaint against the Village for gender discrimination.
The Illinois Human Rights Commission ruled that the Village had retaliated against them for filing the complaint. The Village appealed the ruling to the Appeals Court, which ruled the judge’s initial ruling was correct.
The Village had spent over $100,000 fighting this case. The settlement will cost the Village of Thomson nearly $200,000
It is anticipated that the Village will borrow the money.