$5.68M Cook County Race Discrimination in Hiring Settlement, Do You Qualify for a Payment? File by Aug 5 Simpson, et al. v. Thomas J. Dart, et al., Case No. 1:18-cv-00553

UPDATE LOG — Simpson v. Cook County Race Discrimination Hiring Case, No. 1:18-cv-00553

May 27, 2026 — Article published. Settlement details confirmed from official Long Form Notice and Settlement Agreement. Quick Facts, eligibility criteria, payout tiers, and all deadlines verified against official settlement documents. All sections current as of today.

Cook County has agreed to pay $5,675,000 to settle a race discrimination class action — Simpson, et al. v. Thomas J. Dart in his official capacity as Sheriff of Cook County, Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board, and County of Cook, Case No. 1:18-cv-00553 — filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, alleging that hiring tests used to screen correctional officer applicants discriminated against Black applicants. If you applied for a Cook County Correctional Officer job after March 13, 2015, and were rejected because you failed one of the written or physical abilities tests, you may be entitled to up to $10,000 — but only if you file a claim by August 5, 2026.

Cook County Race Discrimination in Hiring Settlement — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Amount	$5,675,000
Claim Deadline	August 5, 2026
Who Qualifies	Black applicants who applied for Cook County Correctional Officer after March 13, 2015, and did not pass one or more screening tests
Estimated Payout Per Person	Between $950 and $2,000 (up to $10,000 maximum)
Proof Required	No — records from the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board identify class members
Settlement Status	Proposed — Fairness Hearing set for August 28, 2026
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois, Case No. 1:18-cv-00553
Specific Law Alleged	Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (disparate impact race discrimination)
Administrator	CPT Group, Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623 — 1-888-439-0284
Official Claim Website	www.SimpsonCookCountySettlement.com
Last Updated	May 27, 2026

Where Does the Cook County Hiring Discrimination Settlement Stand Today?

• The court granted preliminary approval of the $5,675,000 settlement and scheduled a Fairness Hearing for August 28, 2026 at 10:00 AM in Room 1025 of the Everett McKinley Dirksen Federal Building, 219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604.
• The deadline to file a claim form, opt out, or object is August 5, 2026 — three weeks before the Fairness Hearing.
• If the court approves the settlement, payments will be issued approximately 14 days after the administrator processes all claims and any appeals are resolved.

Who Is Cook County and Why Are They Facing a Race Discrimination Lawsuit?

Cook County is the second-most populous county in the United States, home to Chicago and served by the Cook County Sheriff’s Office and Department of Corrections. The Sheriff’s Merit Board administers the hiring process for Correctional Officer positions, including the written and physical abilities tests at the center of this lawsuit. When a government employer’s screening tests eliminate Black applicants at a higher rate than white applicants, federal law requires that those tests be justified — and that is exactly what this case challenged.

What Did Cook County Do to Black Correctional Officer Applicants Between 2015 and 2018?

In 2018, Joseph Simpson and seven other Black applicants sued Cook County, the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board, and Sheriff Thomas J. Dart, alleging that the three tests used to screen Correctional Officer candidates — a first written test, a second written test, and a physical abilities test — had a disparate impact on Black applicants in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Disparate impact means a policy or test that looks neutral on its face actually screens out one racial group at a significantly higher rate than others. You do not have to prove intentional racism — only that the test disproportionately excluded Black candidates and was not adequately justified by job necessity.

Bloomberg Law reported in August 2022 that a Chicago federal judge certified the case as a class action, finding that common questions of law and fact underlie the discrimination allegations — a major milestone that allowed the case to move forward on behalf of all affected Black applicants. After years of court-supervised litigation and negotiation, the parties reached a settlement in 2025.

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If you are a Black applicant who applied for a Cook County Correctional Officer position after March 13, 2015, and failed any of the three tests, this settlement directly affects you. Understanding how similar employment discrimination class actions proceed can also be helpful — the Workday AI hiring discrimination class action shows how courts handle cases where screening tools exclude protected groups at higher rates. For a broader look at how federal hiring bias allegations unfold, see our coverage of H1B visa discrimination cases and federal employment law protections.

Are You Part of the Cook County Race Discrimination Hiring Class Action?

Here is exactly how to know if this settlement includes you.

You are likely a class member if:

• You are Black (African American)
• You applied for a Correctional Officer position at the Cook County Department of Corrections after March 13, 2015
• You were not hired because you did not pass the first written test, the second written test, or the physical abilities test administered by the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board

You do NOT qualify if:

• You are not Black — this settlement covers Black applicants specifically
• You applied before March 13, 2015
• You failed the hiring process for a reason unrelated to the three screening tests (background check, polygraph, or other disqualification)
• You were hired as a Correctional Officer

You do not need to gather documents to prove you applied. The Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board’s own records identify class members, and those records were used to send notices to eligible individuals.

Cook County Applicants Outside Illinois — Are You Still Covered?

Yes. This is a federal case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, and it covers all Black applicants who tested for Cook County Correctional Officer positions regardless of where you live now. If you applied in Illinois but have since moved to another state, you are still eligible to file a claim.

If you are unsure whether you qualify for the Cook County race discrimination hiring settlement, a free consultation with an employment discrimination attorney can help you assess your situation before the August 5, 2026 deadline.

What Are Cook County Black Correctional Officer Applicants Asking the Court to Award in the 2018 Race Discrimination Hiring Case?

The $5,675,000 total settlement fund covers five categories of payments. Subject to court approval, four deductions come out first: settlement administration costs (estimated at $31,000), reimbursement of litigation costs to class counsel (estimated at $370,000), service awards of $5,000 each to the five named plaintiffs, and attorneys’ fees of one-third of the total fund (approximately $1,891,666).

After those deductions, the remaining money — expected to be approximately $3.4 million — gets divided equally among all class members who submit claim forms.

What Could Cook County Black Applicants Receive from the 2018 Race Discrimination Case Settlement?

The settlement documents state that individual payments are expected to be between $950 and $2,000, with a hard cap of $10,000 per person. If fewer class members file claims, your individual share goes up. If more people file than expected, everyone gets less — this is called pro-rata distribution.

Beyond money, the settlement also gives class members a chance to re-apply for a Correctional Officer job under a revised process: you will not have to retake the second written test or the physical abilities test. If you failed the first written test, your score will be re-evaluated under a new scoring system, and you may not need to retake it at all. Priority placement and appeal rights for any disqualification are also part of the deal.

Payments over $600 may be reported to the IRS as income — check with a tax professional about your specific situation.

How to File Your Cook County Race Discrimination Settlement Claim — Step by Step

⚠️ Cook County settlement claim deadline: August 5, 2026 — file now at www.SimpsonCookCountySettlement.com

1. Visit www.SimpsonCookCountySettlement.com/Login to access the online Claim Form.
2. Enter your full name, current address, telephone number, and email address.
3. Submit the form — you do not need to upload documents or provide proof; the Merit Board’s records already identify you as a class member.
4. If you also want to re-apply for a Correctional Officer job under the settlement’s revised process, submit a separate Job Application form at the same website in addition to your Claim Form. You must do both to get both.
5. Save your confirmation number after submitting.
6. Watch your email — the administrator, CPT Group, Inc., will contact you if anything else is needed.

You can also mail a paper Claim Form to: Simpson v. Thomas J. Dart, c/o CPT Group, Inc., PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623. The form is available at www.SimpsonCookCountySettlement.com/Documents. Takes about 5 minutes to complete online.

Should Cook County Class Members Opt Out or Object Before August 5, 2026?

What Does Opting Out of the Cook County Race Discrimination Settlement Mean for Your Rights?

Opting out means you will not receive any settlement money and you lose the chance to re-apply for the Correctional Officer job under the revised process. In exchange, you keep the right to file your own lawsuit against Cook County, the Sheriff’s Merit Board, and Sheriff Dart over the same discrimination claims. Most people should not opt out unless they have strong individual claims and have already spoken with an employment discrimination attorney. The opt-out deadline is August 5, 2026.

How to Object to the Cook County Settlement Terms Before August 5, 2026

Objecting means you are telling the court the settlement is unfair — but you still stay in the class and can still receive a payment. To object, mail a signed letter postmarked by August 5, 2026 to both CPT Group, Inc. (PO Box 19504, Irvine, CA 92623) and the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (219 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60604). Your letter must include the case name and number, your contact information, your specific reasons for objecting, and whether you plan to appear at the August 28, 2026 Fairness Hearing.

If you are considering opting out or objecting, speaking with a class action lawsuit attorney before August 5, 2026 is strongly recommended.

Cook County Race Discrimination Hiring Lawsuit Timeline

Milestone	Date
Class period begins — eligible test takers	March 13, 2015
Lawsuit filed in N.D. Illinois	2018
Court certifies case as class action	August 2022
Parties reach settlement	2025
Claim form, opt-out, and objection deadline	August 5, 2026
Fairness Hearing, Room 1025, Dirksen Courthouse, Chicago	August 28, 2026
Job re-application deadline	No earlier than November 27, 2026 — check settlement website for final date
Expected payment date	TBD — approximately 14 days after final approval and processing of all claims

Cook County Race Discrimination Lawsuit — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 1:18-cv-00553

Is there an active settlement in the Cook County correctional officer race discrimination lawsuit right now?

Yes. Cook County, the Cook County Sheriff’s Merit Board, and Sheriff Thomas J. Dart agreed to a $5,675,000 settlement of Case No. 1:18-cv-00553. The settlement is proposed and awaiting final court approval at the August 28, 2026 Fairness Hearing. You must file a claim by August 5, 2026 to receive money.

Do I need to do anything right now to receive a payment from the Cook County hiring settlement?

Yes — you must actively submit a Claim Form at www.SimpsonCookCountySettlement.com/Login by August 5, 2026. If you do nothing, you will receive no money and no job opportunity, even though you will still be bound by the settlement and cannot sue separately.

How much will my Cook County settlement check be?

Individual payments are expected to be between $950 and $2,000, with a maximum of $10,000 per person. The exact amount depends on how many class members submit claim forms and the total deductions approved by the court for attorneys’ fees, administration costs, and service awards.

Can I re-apply for a Cook County Correctional Officer job through this settlement?

Yes, but only if you want to and submit a Job Application form in addition to your Claim Form. Under the settlement’s revised process, you will not need to retake the second written test or the physical abilities test. Your first written test score may be re-evaluated. Re-applying does not guarantee you will be hired — you must still successfully complete the remaining steps.

What specific law does the Cook County hiring process allegedly violate?

The lawsuit alleges violations of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under a disparate impact theory — meaning the three screening tests disproportionately excluded Black applicants at a higher rate than other applicants, which federal law prohibits even without proof of intentional bias.

Can I file my own lawsuit against Cook County for race discrimination in hiring instead of joining this settlement?

Only if you opt out. If you submit a Claim Form or do nothing, you release your right to sue Cook County, the Sheriff’s Merit Board, and Sheriff Dart separately for the claims covered in this case. If you believe you have strong individual claims, consult an employment discrimination attorney before the August 5, 2026 opt-out deadline.

Will my Cook County settlement payment be reported to the IRS?

Possibly. Payments over $600 from class action settlements are typically reported as income. The settlement documents note that legally required tax deductions may apply. Consult a tax professional about your specific situation.

What happens if I miss the August 5, 2026 Cook County settlement deadline?

You will receive no money and no job opportunity. You will still be bound by the settlement’s release provisions, meaning you cannot bring a separate lawsuit against Cook County or the Sheriff’s Office for the same claims. Missing the deadline has serious consequences — do not wait.

Sources Used in This Cook County Race Discrimination Hiring Settlement Article

• Official Long Form Notice — Simpson v. Dart, Case No. 1:18-cv-00553, authorized by U.S. District Court: https://www.simpsoncookcountysettlement.com/Content/Docs/Long%20Form%20Notice.pdf
• Official Settlement Website — CPT Group, Inc., Settlement Administrator: https://www.simpsoncookcountysettlement.com
• Opt Out Form — Official Settlement Documents: https://www.simpsoncookcountysettlement.com/Content/Docs/Opt%20Out%20Form.pdf

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against the official Long Form Notice and Settlement Agreement documents at SimpsonCookCountySettlement.com. Last Updated: May 27, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney.