Nearly $10 Million: Sacramento County Sheriff's Discrimination Lawsuit Carries Big Price Tag

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A court has awarded lawyers for four Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies $5.3 million after the department lost a discrimination lawsuit.

The ruling brings the total cost to the county to nearly $10 million.

The four deputies were awarded $3.5 million in a settlement seven years after they sued the department for harassment. Among the concerns they raised were favoritism and gender and ethnic discrimination in the workplace. They then said the department retaliated against them.

Traci Keller was awarded the most money, about $3.2 million, after she says she suffered a stroke following an internal investigation she was later cleared of. She didn't feel comfortable speaking on camera.

Another $1.1 million went to the sheriff's department's legal fees.