The World-Herald filed public records requests last month with government agencies across Nebraska, seeking copies of 10 legal settlement cases where terms were not disclosed to taxpayers. Here is a summary of each case and the agency’s response:
Sarpy County, 2003 County settled a lawsuit brought by ACLU Nebraska on behalf of a New Jersey man who was arrested after asking a sheriff’s deputy how to file a citizen’s complaint against the sheriff.
Response: Remains secret
Sarpy County’s legal staff said it could not locate a copy of the settlement.
Stuhr Museum, Grand Island, 2003
The taxpayer-funded Hall County museum settled a federal age discrimination lawsuit brought by Dale Clark, former museum education director.
Response: Made public
Stuhr Museum’s private insurer paid Clark $7,908 and his lawyer, Vincent Powers, $4,592.
Sarpy County, 2004
County settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by Kathy Richardson, a former clerk in the Sarpy County Attorney’s Office.
Response: Remains secret
The county’s legal staff said it could not locate a copy of the agreement.
City of Neligh, 2004
Neligh settled a wrongful-termination case with former city public works employee Phil Portwood.
Response: Made public
The city’s insurer, the League Association of Risk Management, released the agreement in which Portwood was paid $40,000 to drop his case.
City of Crete, 2005
A Crete family reached a settlement with the city’s insurance company over the death of daughter Alexa Foster, 8, who was killed in 2004 when a concrete block wall fell on her in a city park building.
Response: Remains secret
Crete City Attorney Steven Reisdorff said the city did not retain a copy of the settlement but would not have made it public anyway, because the city’s private insurer made the payment.
Plattsmouth Community School District, 2006
The district settled a student’s federal negligence lawsuit. The suit argued that high school staff and coaches could have prevented an attack on the student by a varsity football player.
Response: Remains secret
School district officials say they did not retain a copy of the settlement, which included a confidentiality provision.
Raymond Central School District, 2008
The district reached a separation agreement with longtime high school Principal Ivan Dixon to leave the district, effective July 31, 2008.
Response: Made public
Raymond Central released severance payment information showing that Dixon received $73,000 during the 2008-2009 school year, in 12 payments of $6,083.33 each.
Metropolitan Utilities District, 2008
MUD settled with employee Crystal Slaughter to resolve an employment discrimination lawsuit.
Response: Made public
MUD released details of the settlement, which included a $10,000 payment to Slaughter.
City of Kearney, 2008
The city settled an age discrimination lawsuit brought by employee Teresa Sesna.
Response: Made public
The city’s insurer, the League Association of Risk Management, paid Sesna $70,000 to drop the case. She no longer works for Kearney.
Richardson County, 2009
The county settled a 2006 wrongful-death case brought by the family of Ann Marx, who was accidentally shot and killed in her car by a sheriff’s deputy during a drug stakeout.
Response: Remains secret
The settlement was sealed by a county judge. It includes a mutual confidentiality clause that bars the judge, plaintiff and defendants from making the details public.
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