Settlement reached in retired Joliet police officer’s discrimination lawsuit

After more than four years, a settlement was reached in a retired Joliet police officer’s federal lawsuit case that alleged he was subjected to racial discrimination and retaliation by his own department.

On Oct. 19, both parties in retired Joliet Police Officer Lionel Allen’s lawsuit case filed a joint motion informing U.S. Judge Steven Seeger that “the parties have reached an agreement in principle resolving the above-captioned case.”

“The parties are currently working on a mutually agreeable written settlement agreement. Upon final agreement, the parties will be filing a motion to dismiss this matter,” the motion said.

As a result, Seeger dismissed the case on Oct. 20. Seven days later, both parties informed him they were in the process of executing a settlement agreement.

Attorneys for Allen and the City of Joliet did not immediately respond to calls and emails Friday about the settlement.

On June 12, 2018, Allen filed a lawsuit against retired Joliet Police Chief Brian Benton, former Joliet Police Lt. Marc Reid, who was in charge of internal affairs at the time, and the City of Joliet. Benton is currently the police chief in Mokena.

Allen, who is Black, alleged in the lawsuit that he was retaliated against by Reid for speaking out against another officer’s racism, and that Benton promised to not fire him if he withdrew a complaint filed with the Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency that investigates workplace discrimination.

In 2015, Allen’s lawsuit alleged he was transferred out a sector he had worked in for nine years to a less desirable assignment, while his previous sector was given to a white officer who made fun of Black people.

Allen’s lawsuit alleged Reid initiated an investigation against him for his comment about the white officer and Allen filed a Charge of Discrimination at the EEOC.

Allen further alleged Benton told him he could save himself from firing by withdrawing his EEOC charge, agree not to file any more charges, sign a last chance agreement and take a 15-day suspension. Allen accepted the suspension to remain employed.

Allen retired Aug. 8, 2019, about eight months after retired Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner recommended him for termination.

In a Feb. 25 ruling, Seeger granted the city’s attorneys’ motion to dismiss Allen’s race discrimination claims, his retaliation claims about Reid’s investigation and his suspension but allowed the retaliation claims about the last chance agreement to move forward to a potential trial.

Seeger ruled Allen’s race discrimination claims relies on arguments that he received worse treatment “than other, similarly situated officers.” He ruled that no reasonable jury could look at the treatment of the other officers and conclude the department suspended Allen because of his race.

However, Seeger found that a reasonable jury could weigh whether Allen faced a real threat of termination for filing a complaint with the EEOC because of the last chance agreement.