The $3.9 billion Bellco Credit Union said it decided to pay $50,000 to the Denver Metro Fair Housing Center to settle the organization's lawsuit that alleged the Greenwood Village, Colo.-based cooperative discriminated against women on maternity leave by denying them mortgages.

Bellco said in a prepared statement its decision to offer the judgement agreement last month that DMFHC accepted was made for one reason: "To protect our members' funds and not waste them proving our innocence in a frivolous lawsuit brought forth by an agency with a history of such actions, with no basis in actual fact. As the records show, no Bellco member ever applied for a loan that was denied based on any discriminatory action taken by Bellco employees."

DMFHC did not respond to a CU Times message Tuesday seeking comment.