A Missouri Senate committee has voted to confirm Missouri's public safety director despite concerns about a racial discrimination lawsuit against him.
The committee voted 10-1 Tuesday to confirm the appointment of former St. Louis police Chief Daniel Isom II. The full Senate still must confirm him.
Isom would be one of the state's highest-ranking black officials. He was appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon shortly after a white police officer fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, in Ferguson.
Isom was appointed amid criticism about lack of diversity in state department leaders.
The committee delayed his confirmation last week because of concerns that a federal jury in 2013 awarded a white police sergeant $420,000 over his claim that Isom wrongfully promoted a black woman instead of him. Isom appealed the decision.
