In a move to avoid what could have been a highly publicized courtroom battle, the city has elected to settle a lawsuit that claimed Black employees at the Chicago Department of Water Management had suffered under an umbrella of racism and sexism for years. This decision preempts a trial that might have aired the city's dirty laundry to the world, a trial set for June and now called off following the settlement, as reported by the Chicago Tribune.

Detailed accounts of harrowing workplace conduct were to prominently feature in the trial, including instances where city supervisors were accused of repeatedly utilizing the N-word and other racist slurs. In a particularly troubling claim, it is alleged that a foreman compared an African American employee's skin tone to a black-painted door. The lawsuit revealed a culture so toxic that former city Inspector General Joseph Ferguson's report found a pattern of racist and sexist emails being exchanged among city employees. According to the Chicago Tribune, Ferguson's investigation prompted a shakeup at the top, with a slew of disciplinary recommendations.

The offensive communications included not just racist remarks targeted at employees, but also reprehensible jokes about public figures such as Barack Obama, the nation's first black president. The Chicago Tribune reports that one email in Ferguson's investigation was titled "Obama Angry with Texas!!" with a narrative suggesting a racist auction scenario, as per Chicago Tribune. Another email mocked the idea of Black NASCAR drivers with a list of stereotypical reasons for their alleged absence from the sport.

The sum agreed upon in the settlement has yet to be disclosed publicly and awaits approval by the City Council. Nevertheless, it is a pivotal moment for the city, which has decided to decisively close, at least legally, a chapter marked by allegations of racist practices and policies within one of its key departments.