The Menlo Park City Council voted unanimously last week to settle a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in the police department, but council members say the city is not at fault in the case, and they approved the settlement to cut legal costs.
Under the settlement, the city agreed to pay $165,000 — $55,000 each — to three former black officers who allege they were harassed and discriminated against by Sgt. Ron Prickett when working for the city’s police department.
The settlement was approved by the council in a closed session on Sept. 11, and announced in open session later that evening.
Council members, City Attorney Bill McClure, and Suzanne Solomon of the San Francisco-based firm Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, who represented Sgt. Prickett, said approving a settlement was easier and less expensive than going to trial.
“The cost of litigation, even if you’re 100 percent sure you’re going to win, can go into the hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Councilman John Boyle.
Former officers Keith Butler, Joe Hinkston, and Kenneth Clayton filed their lawsuit in San Mateo County Superior Court in October, and sought $2 million in collective damages. The officers alleged that Sgt. Prickett “created an intimidating, hostile, abusive and offensive working environment” through a number of actions, including placing white-supremacist images in the workplace and calling their attention to them.
Wendy Bemis of San Francisco-based Bemis and Associates, who represented the plaintiffs, said the former officers, all of whom have moved on to departments in other cities, wanted to “put the case and Menlo Park behind them.”
“We think if we went to trial, we would have gotten a higher verdict,” Ms. Bemis said in an e-mail to the Almanac. “The demands of the case on the plaintiffs’ schedules at their new respective police departments were increasing and would continue to increase through trial.”
Sgt. Prickett and the three former officers could not be reached for comment.
Earlier this year, Police Chief Bruce Goitia said “outside counsel” looked into the allegations, and it was determined there were no signs of racism or a hostile work environment. Council members said that, despite settling, they stand by the results of that investigation.
“The chief said if there was any indication the allegations had merit, Ron Prickett would not be working for our department, and I believe that,” said Councilman Heyward Robinson.
Chief Goitia deferred questions to police spokesperson Nicole Acker, who had no comment.
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