by Christopher Zoukis

The city of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania agreed to pay a university professor $11,000 after she sued the city's police department for racial profiling. The city also promised that all officers will review departmental policy prohibiting racial profiling on a yearly basis.

On February 16, 2006, Wilkes-Barre police pulled over a group of students returning from a Black History Month event. Wilkes University director of multicultural affairs Andita Parker-Lloyd, who is black and who was traveling with them in a separate vehicle, approach the officers to ask why they were being stopped. When she refused to return to her vehicle, the professor was arrested for disorderly conduct.

Although the charges were later dropped, Parker-Lloyd sued the Wilkes-Barre police for racial profiling. She claimed emotional distress, embarrassment, and that the event caused the loss of her position as director of multicultural affairs.

The city agreed in a settlement to pay Parker-Lloyd $1,000 for emotional distress and $10,000 for legal fees. The city also promised that officers will keep up to date on racial profiling policies.

See: Parker-Lloyd v. John Doe 1, et al., United States District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, Case No. 3:06-cv-01137 (June 6, 2007)

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