La Crosse council’s $50,000 discrimination lawsuit settlement decision comes tonight

Meeting was postponed because of scheduling error

A $50,000 payout could be on the way for a former La Crosse police officer.

Tony Clark would get that money in exchange for dismissing a federal discrimination lawsuit against the city.

The city council was scheduled to vote on the terms of the settlement at a meeting Thursday, but that meeting has been postponed until Monday.

Clark filed a federal lawsuit last March saying fellow officers racially harassed him and, when he reported the behavior, he was retaliated against. The city continues to deny the allegations made by Clark.  

The settlement with Clark would end the case by paying Clark $25,000 in legal fees and $25,000 in damages. A number of other parts to the settlement, including not allowing Clark to reapply for employment in the city. The city also agrees to purge all of Clark’s discipline records.

The meeting was not, however, postponed because of this particular matter. The postponement came because the city clerk’s office neglected to publicize a notice for the city council’s regularly monthly meeting Thursday, until that morning. The state’s open-meeting’s law requires the notice to go out 24 hours ahead of time. Holding the meeting Thursday would have violated that law.

A lot of issues on the agenda will have to wait four days to be discussed. Some of those included:

• Mayor Kabat’s $69-million 2017 budget proposal
• Dissolving the Public Works Dept.
• Merging the city and county libraries
• Allowing the historic Cass. St. castle to be turned into a bed and breakfast.
• Resolving a loan request for Rubber Mills building renovation.