St. Clair County agreed to pay a total of $462,801.04 in 2024 to settle lawsuits and workers’ compensation claims.
The Belleville News-Democrat obtained copies of nine settlement agreements through a public records request.
The settled lawsuits involved allegations that St. Clair County did not pay overtime compensation to employees at emergency call centers and that sheriff’s deputies injured two people detained at the jail and arrested another person after an unlawful search of his home. The county denied the allegations in each case.
Workers’ compensation claims involved falls and other employee injuries on the job.
The St. Clair County Board approved each of the payments.
St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern and County Administrator and Budget Officer Debra Moore did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the settlements or the specific sources of the funding for them.
Attorneys representing the county in the lawsuits also did not respond.
Unpaid overtime, excessive force, unlawful arrest alleged
St. Clair County settled five federal lawsuits in 2024, which totaled $173,000:
- 911 call center managers Candis Cross and Tina Joaquin settled their 2023 federal lawsuit against St. Clair County over allegations of unpaid overtime compensation. The county agreed to pay Cross and Joaquin $125,000.
Cross and Joaquin alleged that county officials told them they were no longer eligible for overtime after their promotions to management positions and pay raises, which the officials later determined was an error.
- 911 operator Ann Ellis settled her 2023 federal lawsuit against St. Clair County over allegations of unpaid overtime compensation. The county agreed to pay Ellis $25,000.
Ellis alleged that county officials told her she was not eligible for overtime because she was considered a part-time employee despite working an average of 48 hours per week. Ellis also alleged the county would automatically deduct a half-hour from her hours worked even when she was unable to take a meal break.
- Antione Hawkins settled his 2021 federal lawsuit against seven St. Clair County correctional officers over allegations of excessive use of force in the St. Clair County Jail. The county agreed to pay Hawkins $16,000.
Hawkins alleged six of the correctional officers pushed him against a wall, repeatedly punched and kicked him and, after he was restrained on the ground, twisted his ankle. He alleged a seventh correctional officer failed to intervene to protect him.
- Timothy Headrick settled his 2022 federal lawsuit against nine St. Clair County correctional officers over allegations of excessive use of force, lack of adequate drinking water, lack of recreation, black mold, backed-up sewers, inadequate food and lack of heat in the St. Clair County Jail. The county agreed to pay Headrick $5,000.
Headrick alleged the correctional officers beat him and allowed other people detained in the jail to beat him after he complained about jail conditions.
- A citizen settled his 2019 federal lawsuit against four St. Clair County Sheriff’s deputies over allegations of unlawful search and seizure, unlawful arrest, failure to protect, malicious prosecution and unlawful pretrial detention. The county agreed to pay him $2,000.
The full complaint is under seal. A judge’s order in the case detailed the citizen’s accusations but redacted his name for his personal security.
The citizen alleged sheriff’s deputies searched his Cahokia Heights home and arrested him for drugs without a search warrant or probable cause. The deputies instead had an arrest warrant for a probation violation involving someone else in his home.
The man denied ownership of the drugs, and the state court dismissed the criminal charges against him after finding the search of his home was unconstitutional, according to the federal court document.
The citizen alleged that while he was detained, another person in the jail attacked and severely injured him.
St. Clair County employees injured on the job
St. Clair County also settled four workers’ compensation claims about injuries in 2024, which totaled $289,801.04:
- A former St. Clair County employee received $175,000. He slipped and fell in a ditch in September 2021, injuring both his legs, his lower back and body as a whole.
- A St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department employee received $56,086.50. She was attempting to handcuff a person in September 2020 and injured her right arm, right shoulder and body as a whole.
- A St. Clair County employee received $51,698.12. She slipped and fell on ice in January 2018, injuring her left arm, left shoulder, left foot, left hand and body as a whole.
- A St. Clair County Highway Department employee received $7,016.42. He was shoveling patch out of the back of a highway department truck in December 2022 when he twisted and injured his left leg.
Editor's note: This story was originally published by the Belleville News-Democrat. Lexi Cortes is a reporter for the Belleville News-Democrat, a news partner of St. Louis Public Radio.
