Assistant chief gets $162K to settle discrimination lawsuit

ST. LOUIS — The city of St. Louis will pay a St. Louis assistant police chief nearly $162,000 to settle his federal discrimination lawsuit in which he alleged he was passed over for the city’s top police job because he is white.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that Lt. Col. Lawrence O’Toole will also retire at the end of the week as part of the settlement. O’Toole sued in 2020, after he was passed over for the position of St. Louis’ police chief in 2017.

John Hayden, who is black, was chosen as chief in 2018.

O’Toole is set to receive $25,000 for legal fees, more than $76,000 in back pay, and $60,000 for emotional pain and suffering.