Clarendon Hills to pay $9,000 in lawsuit settlement with former police officer

Nov. 19--Clarendon Hills has agreed to cover $9,500 of $39,500 to be paid to Todd Helms to settle a federal lawsuit filed by the former police officer.

The complaint alleged village officials tried to prevent Helms, who was in the U.S. Army Reserves, from deploying while the country was at war with Afghanistan and Iraq, and did not promote him because of his military service.

Helms, who retired in December after more than 18 years on the Clarendon Hills police force, was seeking $2.25 million in damages to compensate him for the pain, stigma, humiliation and stress he said he suffered.

The Village Board voted Monday to approve the $9,500 payment. The Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency, the village's risk insurance agency, will pay the remaining $30,000.

"The settlement includes a stipulation that the village is not admitting to any fault or guilt in this case," Village Manager Kevin Barr said. "Staff recommended approving the agreement, as the financial risks involved in litigating the matter may have exceeded the settlement amount."

Barr said Clarendon Hills had no direct legal costs from the case because it was handled by its insurance agency.

Village staff, a representative from the insurance agent and legal counsel attended a settlement conference in October administered by Judge Jeffrey Gilbert of the Northern District of Illinois. Helms agreed at that time to dismiss all claims against the village as a part of the settlement, Barr said.

During Helm's time with the Police Department, he was deployed twice, to Afghanistan and Qatar, said his attorney, Christopher Cooper. He also participated in military training exercises one weekend a month, Cooper said.

Helms said village officials knew he was in the active U.S. Army Reserves when they hired him in April 2000.

In March 2008, when Helms was on a military deployment mobilization list, the complaint stated the police chief at the time told Helms he would be denied a promotion opportunity if he was deployed.

According to the complaint, in 2016, Helms volunteered to go to juvenile officer training, but a sergeant told him the department would not send him to any more training if he was still in the military. The complaint alleged he was also removed as a field-training officer because of his military service.

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