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Council approves $750,000 settlement in employment discrimination suit tied to police discipline
Summary
Council authorized a $750,000 settlement to resolve Brook Wilson v. City of Columbus after city lawyers warned that evidence exclusions could expose the city to a multi‑million dollar trial judgment and attorneys’ fees. Administration said settlement is risk management to avoid larger liability.
Columbus City Council on Wednesday approved a $750,000 settlement to resolve litigation brought by a former police sergeant, Brook Wilson, related to disciplinary action following an investigation into alleged use of a racial slur.
City attorneys briefed council on the litigation posture: the case had been litigated for several years and, on the eve of trial, the federal judge signaled that he would exclude a key piece of evidence — a polygraph exam — that the city contended supported its disciplinary decision. City counsel said that exclusion would have left the city with a he‑said/she‑said factual posture and could have exposed the city to lost‑wage damages (cited by counsel as approximately $2.5 million) plus attorney fees in excess of $500,000 if the city lost at trial.
"Rather than take the chance at trial and given the financial exposure that the city faced ... we made the decision to negotiate a settlement," the city attorney’s office said. Counsel said the settlement reduces financial exposure and avoids the risk of an adverse trial judgment and fee award.
Council members questioned the evidentiary posture and expressed frustration that the matter had reached this level of controversy. Several members noted the broader implications for workplace conduct and public trust; others asked what steps the Department of Public Safety had taken to reduce future litigation risk.
Deputy public safety leaders described internal changes: dedicated EEO investigators, new compliance functions, chain‑of‑command procedures and review mechanisms intended to reduce the likelihood of similar cases. The council voted to authorize the $750,000 settlement.
Quote: "Given the real likelihood of losing at trial and then having to come to this council and ask for $2.5 million to pay the judgment and another $500,000 plus to pay the attorney's fees, we were looking at exposure upwards of $3 million," the city attorney's office said in explaining the recommendation.
Next steps: The Department of Public Safety said it would continue to refine investigative and EEO processes; council asked for ongoing oversight of settlements and risk management as part of budget discussions.
