DENTON, Texas (AP) – A Texas city has settled a lawsuit filed by a former police department recruiter who claimed she was retaliated against for putting too many black candidates up for jobs.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports the Denton City Council approved a $68,000 settlement this month with former police recruiter Cleopatra Birckbichler, who is black and retired from the department last year.
She claimed in her lawsuit that white officers accused her of favoring unqualified black applicants and pushed for her ouster.
Birckbichler and city officials declined comment on the settlement.
Denton Police Chief Frank Dixon, who is black, was hired in September. He showed city leaders this month an outside review that found a lack of department communication about minority hiring. The report labeled it an “underlying issue” that persists.
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