Councilman: Detroit Needs To Fight Lawsuits Against City

DETROIT (WWJ) - A number of people who are suing the city of Detroit may be getting an early Christmas present.

Detroit's Law Department is asking City Council to approve two settlements involving elected officials.

Councilman Kwame Kenyatta says the city needs to start fighting these lawsuits in court and stop settling.

"Everyone knows that this is settlement town, and at some point if we start going to court - like Chicago did - they have a no settlement policy  with the police department now and guess what? Lawsuits have gone down, because now you've got to prove your case," said Kenyatta.

The Law Department has agreed to settle a whistleblower lawsuit against the city for $200,000 to Mayor Dave Bing's former staffer Rochelle Collins, and a $75,000 lawsuit brought by former Mariners Inn employee Robert Fetter. He claimed he was fired because he opposed ex-Councilwoman Monica Conyers.