U.S. Justice Department files settlement against Clarksville

The United States Department of Justice filed a proposed agreement Thursday to resolve a lawsuit against a southern Indiana town  for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. 

The lawsuit alleged that the Clarksville Police Department unlawfully revoked a job offer to a police officer after becoming aware he was living with HIV. The officer had been working for the Clarksville Police Department as a volunteer for over a year.

“No individual should be subject to employment discrimination based on their HIV status,” Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division said..

By revoking his job offer, the Justice Department said, violated the ADA and discriminated against the man.

The U.S. District Court of Southern Indiana has to approve the decree, but before that Clarksville is required to  revise its policies and procedures regarding its employment-related medical examinations. Clarksville will also pay $150,000 in damages. 

“Workers living with HIV, including those in law enforcement, deserve to be free from unlawful discrimination,” Zachary A. Myers,  U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, sai. “This settlement will ensure that qualified individuals who seek to serve their communities won’t be excluded as a result of unfounded stereotypes and misinformation about HIV.”