ANTIOCH -- Antioch agreed to pay $360,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by a group of African American renters who said police targeted them for special patrols and pressured landlords to evict them from federally subsidized Section 8 housing, the city said Wednesday.

The renters, who filed suit in 2008 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said city officials had reacted to a near-doubling of the black population in five years by forming a police squad known as the Community Action Team, which searched their homes illegally and warned landlords they could be held responsible for tenants' misconduct.

Last year, a judge granted the plaintiffs' motion for class-action status, expanding the suit to represent "all African Americans who have held, currently hold, or may hold Section 8 housing vouchers, and all members of their households, who reside, have resided or will reside in the city of Antioch."

In a statement released Wednesday, Antioch police and city officials denied any wrongdoing.

"This lawsuit was an attempt to take community policing - neighbors and police working together to build safer neighborhoods - and portray it as an elaborate and sinister conspiracy," said City Attorney Lynn Nerland. She added that Antioch's programs "have always been fair, unbiased and focused on addressing criminal, drug and nuisance activities in our neighborhoods."

The five named plaintiffs in the case - Santeya Danyell Williams, Mary Ruth Scott, Alyce Denise Payne, Karen Latreece Coleman and Priscilla Bunton - will receive a total of $180,000, with the same amount going to their attorneys.

Brad Seligman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the city is now subject to federal court supervision for the next three years to ensure that it is not "focusing on Section 8 African Americans."

"This settlement will close an ugly chapter in the city's history," Seligman said, "and ensure that all Section 8 tenants can live in peace in Antioch."

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/26/BAT61LMHG0.DTL#ixzz1bzaOoOD4

ANTIOCH -- Antioch agreed to pay $360,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by a group of African American renters who said police targeted them for special patrols and pressured ANTIOCH -- Antioch agreed to pay $360,000 to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by a group of African American renters who said police targeted them for special patrols and pressured landlords to evict them from federally subsidized Section 8 housing, the city said Wednesday.

The renters, who filed suit in 2008 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said city officials had reacted to a near-doubling of the black population in five years by forming a police squad known as the Community Action Team, which searched their homes illegally and warned landlords they could be held responsible for tenants' misconduct.

Last year, a judge granted the plaintiffs' motion for class-action status, expanding the suit to represent "all African Americans who have held, currently hold, or may hold Section 8 housing vouchers, and all members of their households, who reside, have resided or will reside in the city of Antioch."

In a statement released Wednesday, Antioch police and city officials denied any wrongdoing.

"This lawsuit was an attempt to take community policing - neighbors and police working together to build safer neighborhoods - and portray it as an elaborate and sinister conspiracy," said City Attorney Lynn Nerland. She added that Antioch's programs "have always been fair, unbiased and focused on addressing criminal, drug and nuisance activities in our neighborhoods."

The five named plaintiffs in the case - Santeya Danyell Williams, Mary Ruth Scott, Alyce Denise Payne, Karen Latreece Coleman and Priscilla Bunton - will receive a total of $180,000, with the same amount going to their attorneys.

Brad Seligman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the city is now subject to federal court supervision for the next three years to ensure that it is not "focusing on Section 8 African Americans."

"This settlement will close an ugly chapter in the city's history," Seligman said, "and ensure that all Section 8 tenants can live in peace in Antioch."

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/26/BAT61LMHG0.DTL#ixzz1bzaOoOD4

landlords to evict them from federally subsidized Section 8 housing, the city said Wednesday.

The renters, who filed suit in 2008 in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, said city officials had reacted to a near-doubling of the black population in five years by forming a police squad known as the Community Action Team, which searched their homes illegally and warned landlords they could be held responsible for tenants' misconduct.

Last year, a judge granted the plaintiffs' motion for class-action status, expanding the suit to represent "all African Americans who have held, currently hold, or may hold Section 8 housing vouchers, and all members of their households, who reside, have resided or will reside in the city of Antioch."

In a statement released Wednesday, Antioch police and city officials denied any wrongdoing.

"This lawsuit was an attempt to take community policing - neighbors and police working together to build safer neighborhoods - and portray it as an elaborate and sinister conspiracy," said City Attorney Lynn Nerland. She added that Antioch's programs "have always been fair, unbiased and focused on addressing criminal, drug and nuisance activities in our neighborhoods."

The five named plaintiffs in the case - Santeya Danyell Williams, Mary Ruth Scott, Alyce Denise Payne, Karen Latreece Coleman and Priscilla Bunton - will receive a total of $180,000, with the same amount going to their attorneys.

Brad Seligman, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the city is now subject to federal court supervision for the next three years to ensure that it is not "focusing on Section 8 African Americans."

"This settlement will close an ugly chapter in the city's history," Seligman said, "and ensure that all Section 8 tenants can live in peace in Antioch."

E-mail Henry K. Lee at hlee@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 5 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/10/26/BAT61LMHG0.DTL#ixzz1bzaOoOD4