Diana Williams, deaf woman denied interpreter, wins $750,000 from NYC

New York City has agreed to pay $750,000 to a deaf woman who alleged she was wrongly arrested in a tenant dispute and not given an interpreter by the NYPD to explain the situation, according to court filings Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan.

The settlement with Diana Williams, which legal sources said was believed to be the largest amount paid to a single plaintiff in a deaf discrimination case, stemmed from a 2011 incident. Police regulations require sign-language interpreters for the deaf.

A spokesman for the city's law department said the settlement was "in the best interest of the city."

"Ms. Williams hopes that the settlement will send a message to all law enforcement agencies across the country that they should adopt proper policies and procedures to ensure full communication access for deaf individuals," her lawyers, Eric Baum and Andrew Rozynski, said in a statement.