The suit, which accuses the city and the Police Department of racial discrimination against five black officers, will go forward.
Related article:
High ranking black officers sue Minneapolis PD
By David Chanen and Terry Collins
The Star Tribune
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — A proposed $2 million settlement of a lawsuit by five black Minneapolis police officers alleging racial discrimination by the city and the Police Department is off the table.
That revelation, contained in a notice filed Wednesday in federal court, came less than a week after the Minneapolis City Council adjourned without voting on the proposed settlement.
The one-page notice, signed by the judicial assistant of U.S. Magistrate Judge Susan Richard Nelson, gave no reason why the settlement failed. Nelson ordered the parties to the suit not to discuss the case publicly after a story appeared in the Star Tribune last week.
The notice doesn’t preclude the possibility of a future settlement. A trial date has been set for October 2009.
“In light of the city’s recent conduct, we agree with the magistrate judge’s decision to declare an impasse,” said John Klassen and Andrew Muller, attorneys for the plaintiffs. “We look forward to litigating this matter through trial because we believe the citizens of Minneapolis need to know the full extent of the 20-year history of racial bias and discrimination at the MPD, which bias and discrimination has intensified under Chief [Tim] Dolan and Mayor [R.T.] Rybak’s administration.”
The City Council met Friday in a closed session to discuss the possible settlement. After the meeting, Council President Barbara Johnson read a brief statement to reporters that said that city attorneys had given the council an update on the suit and that the council provided them with direction. She said the city planned to report back to the magistrate.
Heading into the closed session, some council members thought there would be a chance to vote on a settlement, sources said.
Three hours later, the meeting, which was attended by Dolan, ended with no vote taken. In essence, the gathering had turned into an informational session.
Copyright 2008 The Star Tribune