Two residents who settled a civil rights complaint against the city of Roy are calling it a victory for people who feel the city government has not operated openly.
Dave McFarland and Randy E. Wilson believe the city's out-of-court settlement is proof the city acted wrongly in denying them permission to build a house in the Serrano Park subdivision in 1989."They would have rather paid us money than be truthful," said Wilson, a construction contractor.
They settled the suit for $12,000, much less than the $640,000 they requested in damages in the June lawsuit.
But they aren't finished yet. They are demanding City Attorney Chris Davis resign for enforcing a law that didn't exist.
For his part, the attorney said he won't resign because he acted ethically.
Davis emphasized the settlement is neither an admission of wrongdoing nor a victory for the complainants. It's simply the best way for the city to avoid incurring steep legal bills, he said.
"This isn't one to puff up your chest about. Look at what they got. They got little more than court costs," he said.
The complainants' attorney, Don Hughes, believes the settlement sets a precedent. As white, middle-class males, McFarland and Wilson prevailed in the case, although they don't fit traditional categories for discrimination.