The city of Fort Pierce has agreed to settle a wrongful termination and retaliation claim with a former employee. The city and the former human resources director came to an agreement for her to be paid $34,128 for hundreds of hours of sick leave she accumulated over the course of 20 years of working for the city.
She was fired in 2010 in relation to allegations that she was part of a scheme to bribe a city employee. Even though she denied the allegations, it led to many years of fighting back and forth.
In 2012, the woman filed a lawsuit against the city, feeling that she was wrongfully terminated. In addition to the federal lawsuit, she filed another in circuit court in which she alleged that a city employee made defamatory statements about her, leading to her termination.
The terms of the settlement state that the woman will not refile a lawsuit against the city or the city employee again in the future. Along with this, the insurance company for the city is not requiring that the woman reimburse non-attorney’s fees that totaled nearly $10,000.
A wrongful termination claim can have many twists and turns. From the day you are let go through all the discussions that are sure to come to the forefront, there are many details that must be taken into consideration. If you feel you have been wrongfully terminated from your position, regardless of the employer or your responsibilities, you have the right to learn more about pursuing compensation by filing a lawsuit against the company.
Source: Insurance News Net, “Fort Pierce settles with former human resources director” Keona Gardner, Aug. 11, 2014
