ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council voted to settle a lawsuit with the former fire chief Kelvin Cochran.
Former Mayor Kasim Reed fired Cochran in 2015 after he published a controversial book that called homosexuality "unclean," "a sexual perversion", "vulgar", and "inappropriate."
Shortly after he was fired, Cochran filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and the mayor, claiming he was discriminated against because of his religious faith.
"Everything I wrote in the book is based on scriptures, not my opinions," Cochran said.
After a lengthy legal battle, the council voted to settle the lawsuit at a total of $1.2 million during an Oct. 15 council meeting.
A spokesperson for the City of Atlanta sent the following statement to 11Alive:
The comments of Kelvin Cochran were not reflective of who Atlanta is as a tolerant and inclusive city. While the start of this litigation preceded our Administration, based upon findings of the Court that could have resulted in tax payers paying millions of dollars in damages and litigation fees, a negotiated settlement was recommended by legal counsel. Our Administration remains committed to achieving One Atlanta—a city that is fair, just and inclusive. The City is developing the first LGBTQ employee resource group to support our City employees. The hiring of the City's first-ever, full-time LGBTQ affairs coordinator, the establishment of the Mayor's LGBTQ Advisory Board and the funding of the City's first Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion are also examples of our commitment to ensuring that Atlanta remains a welcoming city for all.
