Clayton County has reached a settlement agreement to pay $400,000 to former deputy Vincent Handsford, resolving a disability discrimination lawsuit that stemmed from alleged mistreatment and unlawful termination by the then-Sheriff Victor Hill. The complaint detailed a series of events following Handsford's diagnosis with rheumatoid arthritis, including demotions and a firing that his attorneys argue violated federal law, as reported by FOX 5 Atlanta.
The lawsuit, which endured despite shifts in law by the United States Supreme Court and the Georgia Court of Appeals, saw Handsford accused of being passed over for promotions and demoted by Hill - this, despite his qualifications. "After meeting Mr. Handsford and hearing his story, we knew we had to fight for him," Ashley Wilson Clark, one of his attorneys, communicated to FOX 5 Atlanta, expressing satisfaction over the concluded litigation. Handsford has been continuing his law enforcement career at the Henry County Police Department since 2020, after he was fired by Hill in 2019.
Hill's tenure as sheriff ended when he was indicted and later convicted on federal charges, leading to an 18-month prison sentence, as mentioned by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The ongoing settlement with Handsford fell onto the shoulders of the current Sheriff Levon Allen and was finalized after approval from the Clayton County Board of Commissioners on August 6, 2024.
Handsford’s struggle with Hill resurfaced after Handsford decided to seek justice. Hill had dismissed him the day after he passed a medical test and threatened him with arrest if he approached the Clayton County Courthouse or sheriff's office, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The settlement allows Handsford to move on from this chapter and advance without the burden of past injustices affecting his path in law enforcement.
