State agrees to pay $350,000 to settle discrimination lawsuit

PIERRE, S.D. (AP) – The state of South Dakota has agreed to pay $350,000 to settle a lawsuit alleging the state Department of Social Services discriminated against American Indian job applicants. The U.S. Department of Justice brought the lawsuit in 2015 following a discrimination complaint by Cedric Goodman.

Goodman was informed in 2010 that he had not been selected for an employment specialist position that the Department of Social Services had posted for its Pine Ridge office. Of the state’s payment, the Argus Leader reports $10,000 will go to the estate of Goodman, who died last year.

The Department of Social Services did not admit wrongdoing.