A settlement was reached last week between the city of Westbrook and two female police officers who had filed a gender discrimination lawsuit last year. 

Rebecca Webber, the attorney working on behalf of officers Melissa May and Sandy Mailman, confirmed Tuesday that the settlement is for $100,000. The officers will receive $30,000 each, while $40,000 will pay their legal expenses. 

May and Mailman are still working for the department, and remained on active duty following the suit. 

The lawsuit, filed in December, claimed that both May and Mailman were subjected to harassment and gender bias dating back to 2011, and that the city failed to properly investigate their claims of harassment.

Webber said the culture in the department has improved since the hiring of Police Chief Janine Roberts in 2014, and led to the settlement. 

“The moving force behind this agreement is addressing prior discriminatory conduct toward female officers in the Westbrook police department,” Webber said in an email. “Due to the pressure exerted by this litigation and the courage of these two officers, as well as the new leadership and change in the form of Chief Janine Roberts, the department has made enormous steps forward. The goal of the agreement was to keep the momentum moving toward the elimination of gender inequity in any form in the department.”

The lawsuit came during a period of transition for the Westbrook Police Department. Former Director of Public Safety Michael Pardue resigned in September 2014, but said it had nothing to do with May’s claim.

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