Settlement Brings Healthcare Relief for Illinois Prisoners

Accused of enabling negligence and providing substandard care, Illinois has agreed to a series of reforms intended to improve health throughout its prison system. Under the agreements, writes the Chicago Tribune, a federal monitor will oversee adjustments to prison healthcare. Among the accepted changes are increased medical and dental staffing, ‘proper training and qualifications for


Appeals Court Scores a Win for Trump’s Transgender Ban

On Friday, an appeals court ruled in favor of President Donald Trump’s ban on transgender persons serving in the U.S. military. The ruling lifted a lower court injunction against the policy. Bloomberg.com reports that the contested plan, crafted by recently-departed Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, was ‘less restrictive’ than the all-out ban first proposed by Trump.




Cambridge School District Reaches Settlement With Employees Over Retirement Healthcare Benefits

A lawsuit settlement was recently reached between the Cambridge Central School District and retired employees over “changes made to their prescription drug benefits.” According to the suit, which was filed back in January 2016 in the State Supreme Court of Washington County, there were a total of 24 retired workers included in the complaint. The retired workers filed the lawsuit after “the district’s health insurance provider, the Washington-Saratoga-Warren-Hamilton-Essex BOCES Health Consortium Trust, dropped the more expensive Empire Blue Cross Matrix Plan” and switched “active employees to a less expensive plan.”



Rock Island County Agrees to Settle Whistleblower Lawsuit for $630,000

Last month, Rock Island County agreed to settle a lawsuit for $630,000, bring an end to a legal battle that has lasted more than five years. The suit was originally filed by three former employees of Partners in Job Training and Placement/Workforce Development (PJTP) after they were fired for “reporting alleged financial fraud conducted by Mark Lohman, who was then interim director.” The three former employees were Jeanette Dawson, Carol Slavish and Michelle Holmes.