FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – In a unanimous vote, the Allen County commissioners agreed to pay $20,000 as a settlement of a lawsuit filed against the county by a former county employee.

Former Allen County corrections officer Terry Lymon, a black male, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court Northern Indiana District in May 2018.  Lymon claims that he was “discriminated against on the basis of race and color, and retaliated against for filing previous charges of discrimination against the defendant,” who is the Allen County government according to the Journal Gazette.

The settlement was approved on Friday by the commissioners.  Lymon has also agreed to never apply for employment with the Allen County government again.

When Lymon filed the lawsuit in 2018, he had submitted 52 applications for employment in the county which he says he was qualified for.  According to the complaint, “Plaintiff contends that many of the positions for which he applied were filled by Caucasian (applicants) with less qualifications than the Plaintiff.”

Lymon filed discrimination charges against the Allen County government in 2013 and 2014 for failing to hire him.  Since then, he has applied for many positions in the government and has not been considered for them.

Allen County has denied all discrimination and retaliation allegations.