Palm Beach, two police officers settle discrimination suit for $250,000 each

Video
Photo

Palm Beach Police officers Gilad Bockman (left) and Marcus Farmer each accepted a $250,000 settlement and agreed to resign immediately.
Copyright 2012 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Regular Photo Size

Posted: 12/27/2012

By: Katie Johnson, WPTV

PALM BEACH, Fla. - UPDATE:

The Town of Palm Beach has agreed to pay $500,000 to settle lawsuits with two of the five police officers who filed a discrimination suit against the town and their superiors.

The town council voted to pay $250,000 each to officers Marcus Farmer and Gilad Bockman. As a condition, the two agreed to resign immediately and dismiss themselves from the suit.

Separately, one of the other officers, Samuel Riley, withdrew from the suit.

Three other Palm Beach Police officers continue to sue the city and settlement negotiations will continue with them. They are officers Jason Vega and Artemis Saridakis and former officer Levente Henter.

EARLIER STORY BELOW:

Members of the Palm Beach Town Council will meet Thursday afternoon at 1 p.m. to discuss "strategy related to litigation."

The pending litigation involves a lawsuit filed by five current Town of Palm Beach police officers and one former officer.

The six people, five men and 1 woman, filed the 96-page lawsuit in October, according to our news partners at The Palm Beach Daily News.

In the suit, the six allege they were subjected to harassment as well as racial and ethnic slurs by superiors in the police department.

Their attorney says the officers and former officer are seeking damages ranging from $25 million to $35 million.

The suit was filed after mediation and settlement discussions failed to resolve the case.

Along with the Town of Palm Beach, the suit also names former Police Capt. Scott Duquette as a defendant.

The suit alleges Duquette used racial slurs as well as sexual innuendo and gestures towards the officers.

The meeting starts at 1 p.m.

The beginning and end portions of the meeting will be open to the public, while the meeting with attorneys and clients will be closed from the public.

Once the "closed door" session is complete, Town leaders will meet will publicly announce the outcome of the session.

Comments

Palm Beach, two police officers settle discrimination suit for $250,000 each

Latest mugshots: Palm Beach County

Latest mugshots: St. Lucie County

Oklahoma tornado damage: Full coverage

Want more Town of Palm Beach news?

Man not guilty of hanging dog

Deadly shooting St Lucie County

Lanes reopen after pickup pinned on I-95

Summer boating season arrives

Liberty Medical employee speaks out