ATLANTA (AP) -- A federal jury has awarded damages of more than $170,000 to two former parks department workers who filed a lawsuit claiming that DeKalb County officials sought to replace white employees with black ones.
The jury's verdict Thursday found that former DeKalb chief executive Vernon Jones, his one-time top aide Richard Stogner, a former parks director and DeKalb County itself were liable for damages.
The jurors did not award two other plaintiffs any damages.
Plaintiffs' attorneys say the number of higher-paid black officials in DeKalb increased by 82 percent from the time Jones took office in January 2001 to August 2005.
Defense attorneys have reminded jurors several times that Jones promoted numerous white employees to high office in the county government.
Information from: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, http://www.ajc.com
