$750,000 Settlement In Black Officer's Lawsuit Against Joliet Chief

JOLIET, IL — Al Roechner has been gone from the Joliet Police Department for nearly three years, but his short two-year tenure as the police chief is still impacting the taxpayers of Joliet. To avoid the start of next week's federal civil rights racial discrimination lawsuit in Chicago, a $750,000 settlement has been reached by the city of Joliet with Lynwood Police Officer Anthony Sinnott and his lawyers, Stacey and Joey Vucko of the Downers Grove-based law firm, Vucko Law.

Sinnott's racial discrimination lawsuit had named the city of Joliet and Joliet Police Chief Al Roechner as the co-defendants. Anthony Sinnott's brother, James, is a detective with the Joliet Police Department and a member of Joliet's Black Police Officers Association.

According to the settlement terms obtained by Joliet Patch:

• A one-time lump sum payment to SINNOTT in the amount of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AND 00/100 ($250,000.00), to account for non-wage damages and consideration, which will be reported on an IRS Form 1099-MISC for SINNOTT.
• A one-time lump sum payment payable to Vucko Law LLP in the amount of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AND 00/100 ($250,000.00), to account for attorney fees, which will be reported on an IRS Form 1099-MISC for SINNOTT and Vucko Law LLP;
• A one-time lump sum payment to SINNOTT in the gross amount of TWO HUNDRED FIFTY THOUSAND DOLLARS AND 00/100 ($250,000.00), to account for lost wages, less all applicable withholdings required by law, which will be reported on IRS Form W-2 by the CITY.
• The CITY will deliver the Settlement Payment checks to Vucko Law LLP at 1431 Opus Place, Suite 110, Downers Grove, IL 60515, within thirty-five (35) calendar days of DEFENDANTS’ receipt of this Agreement signed by SINNOTT.

Joliet Patch has previously reported that Anthony Sinnott applied to become a Joliet police officer in 2018. He became a sergeant with the Harvey Police Department, which is where he worked from 2008 until 2017. In 2017-2018, he worked for the Cicero Police Department.

According to his federal lawsuit, the city of Joliet had at least 10 job openings on its police force in 2019, and Anthony Sinnott later discovered he ranked No. 5 out of the 227 eligible candidates.

On Aug. 26, 2019, Sinnott learned that Joliet's Police and Fire Board rejected his job application, his lawsuit states. According to the Vucko Law Firm, Sinnott's brother is also an African-American and a member of the Joliet Black Police Officers Association, an advocacy forum for minority police officers.

Anthony Sinnott's lawsuit also stated that, "Roechner made false statements about Sinnott to the Board and verbally accused him of being a 'habitual woman beater' in front of the Board." After gathering Roechner's input, Joliet's police and fire board voted unanimously to reject Sinnott's application on Aug. 21, 2019, according to court records.

"The city’s rejection letter stated that Sinnott allegedly did 'not meet the requirements for appointment' as patrol officer for the city,'" his federal lawsuit states. "Sinnott is aware that Defendant Roechner stated to the Board, in sum, that he did not want another Black male so that they could have another member of the BPOA," his lawsuit states. "Sinnott is aware that Roechner told the Board that he has issues with Sinnott’s brother and with the BPOA."