Manchester Pays $35K to Settle Discrimination Lawsuit

At Monday night's Manchester Board of Aldermen meeting, the board had its first reading of a bill to approve allocating $35,000 from the city's general fund to be used to pay for discrimination lawsuit that was settled in December. Aldermen did not discuss the issue at all. The board did not vote on the matter, but could vote on approving the allocation of funds at the next meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21.

As previously reported by Town and Country - Manchester Patch, Judy DeRose, a former Manchester employee, removed her discrimination lawsuit against the City of Manchester after settling her case privately, according to the Public Access to Court Electronic Records service (PACER). DeRose worked as Director of Parks for the city for 22 years until April of 2008 A judge later struck down five of the counts, allowing the case to proceed on only one count, which claims employment discrimination based on age, sex and protected disability. 

The lawsuit was settled in December, 2011. 

"It was a bogus lawsuit that would have cost us fifty-thousand to defend," Manchester City Attorney Patrick Gunn told Patch Monday about the settlement. He said the $35,000 is the total amount of the settlement.

Since the lawsuit was settled in December, the $35,000 has to come from the 2011 city budget, so the board has to vote to make the budget adjustment to go back and allocate those funds for the lawsuit.

"Thirty-five thousand comes from the general fund and goes to the administration budget, which is part of the general fund. We have to do a budget adjustment for 2011 to support it," Manchester Director of Finance Dave Tuberty tells Patch. 

Although it is now 2012, the 2011 budget can still be adjusted since it has not been audited yet, according to Manchester City Clerk Ruth Baker.

*Freelance reporter Carlos Restrepo contributed to this report.

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