The bus company Suburban Express and its owner Dennis Toeppen have entered into a consent decree with the Illinois attorney general’s office to settle a lawsuit filed last year.
Former Attorney General Lisa Madigan filed the lawsuit against the company that transports students from colleges and universities to the Chicagoland area. It alleged that Toeppen discriminated against and harassed customers for several years.
Current Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced the consent decree Tuesday. It requires Toeppen to pay $100,000 and issue refunds of up to $20 to eligible customers. Those refunds will be available via Suburban Express’s website beginning April 30.
The attorney general’s office will monitor compliance with terms of the consent decree for three years. It also prohibits Suburban Express, which serves Illinois State University, from engaging in discriminatory conduct based on race, national origin, or religion.
Among the allegations in the lawsuit were that Suburban Express sent a marketing email touting that customers would ride with “passengers like you. You won’t feel like you’re in China when you’re on our buses.”
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