DuPage County Sheriff's deputy files federal lawsuit against sheriff

WHEATON – A DuPage County Sheriff's deputy recently filed a federal lawsuit against Sheriff John Zaruba alleging that racial discrimination prevented him from being promoted.

Copres Carr of Plainfield filed the suit on Dec. 28. The suit named Zaruba, DuPage County, Chief James Kruse, Maj. Anthony Romanelli, Sgt. James Williams and Sgt. Jack Dellinger as defendants.

The suit alleges that the discrimination began on or about March 2013, and Carr filed a complaint with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in March of this year. In September, he received his notice of right to sue from the commission.

According to the suit, the defendants in the case failed to promote Carr, failed to stop harassment and retaliated against Carr.

"Deputy Carr was held to a different standard and treatment than Caucasian deputies," the suit states. "The Sheriff's department has a culture in which minority deputies are prohibited from advancing within the court security division."

In the suit, Carr also contends that he was ordered to remove his three children from a courtroom earlier this year.

"Deputy Carr was told that the 15-year-old could stay, but that the other two would have to go to a babysitting area, or all three would have to wait in the cafeteria until picked up," according to the suit.

"This was done by Sgt. Williams and Sgt. Dellinger. The courthouse is a public building; there are no rules against your family members coming into a public building while on duty. This intrusion on the basic civil rights of Deputy Carr's children was not only racially motivated, but also done as retaliation for the complaints Deputy Carr had previously lodged against Sgt. Williams and his dealings with Sgt. Dellinger."

Carr is requesting that the court order the defendants to promote him. He is also asking for the court to give him lost wages and other damages.

Paul Darrah, communications manager for the DuPage County State's Attorney's Office, said his office is aware of the lawsuit.

"But I cannot comment on it as we have not yet seen it," Darrah wrote in an email.