A Tallahassee firefighter, who claimed racial discrimination and retaliation, has agreed to a $300,000 settlement pending City Commission approval.
Reginald Brown was employed as a firefighter with the City in 1986. On October 8, 2013, Mr. Brown retired from his employment with the City of Tallahassee after being told that his employment would be terminated, effective October 11, 2013. Mr. Brown retired two years after his retirement pension benefits had fully vested. Mr. Brown claimed that he would have entered DROP in November 2013, and that his retirement was not voluntary, claiming he was constructively discharged.
Mr. Brown filed a lawsuit against the City claiming race discrimination and retaliation. Mr. Brown sought back pay, front pay, emotional distress damages, and attorney’s fees and costs. The parties reached an agreement, subject to City Commission approval, to settle all claims for the sum of $300,000.
City staff determined that damages and attorney’s fees, including relevant offsets, were calculated to potentially be far greater than the settlement amount if the case went to trial and a jury found in favor of Mr. Brown.
The $300,000 settlement includes a negotiated amount for back pay, front pay/DROP funds, emotional distress damages, and attorney’s fees and costs.
The mediated settlement agreement was negotiated with the understanding that it was subject to approval by the City Commission.
City of Tallahassee Settles Discrimination Lawsuit for $300,000 added by Staff on
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That’s the problem with governments in Leon County. Its the policies of these agencies favoring internal employees, and the people in the authoritative positions hiring who they want to instead of who is more qualified. This is why work is slow getting done because of the horse the workers road in on….Now the external educated, experienced workers are not considered unless its a OPS status. How can giving a position to a employee because of time-in when they are not educated oppose to a educated person? Its obvious the person that earned a education has the ability to comprehend information and can start a project and see it to the end without being paid they most-definitely can exceed the duties with a salary!!
Marie Maatox is using a broken system to her advantage. I’d love to know how of the settlement is hers and the attorney fees. This is a disgrace to society and our legal system. If they went to court and the jury award a single dollar to the plaintiff the PLANTIF attorney still gets attorney fees! That is the only reason most settle. This must be changed!!
Let us not forget the $100,000 Commissioner Ziffer’s wife got as a settlement from the city after she stumbled on city sidewalk and was injured.
White collar, blue collar, hoodie crime and high taxes are all the reasons I moved from Tallahassee to Monticello three years ago. The move was one of the best decisions I have ever maid. You Tallahassee residents have fun watching you hard earned money confiscated via taxes to be squandered on pet projects and political cronies.
So basically COT is throwing $300,000 of Tax Payers Money at Mr. Reginald Brown.
Of interest is a lack of any sort of apology to Mr. Reginald Brown.
It’s like; “we at the COT still hate you Mr. Reginald Brown – if you were still employed here we would continue to pick on you, annoy you, bully you, and basically act like a bunch of hateful children to you Mr. Reginald Brown”.
“But here’s $300,000 of Tax Payers Money. Now go buy yourself a Cadillac because we still hate you”.
Thanks once again to our local misguided leftist Democratic voters who make the most corrupt form of local government in the land possible. I hope you all are proud of what you have done.
Wait for the lawsuits to happen in Leon Schools. The mistreatment of staff by the Assistant Superintendents and the self proclaimed czar of Leon Schools, Rocky Hanna. Discrimination, blackmailing, demotions, non rehired staff, all the while the Hanna cronies in DROP come back, the lunch bunch at the Howell building all get raises and yet teachers do not get a raise.
Now, it’s fairly easy to tell you were either 1 of the 47 or the spouse of. It is also easy to tell that you have an axe to grind! 1. Look into the mirror.
2. Work on your grammar.
Also, this article has nothing to do with your subject.
Tic tic boom must be one that got laid off! Enjoy your fw and ssl!
Marie Mattox, she is getting rich off of the city of Tallahassee taxpayers she has 20 plus ex-employees that has filed lawsuits with her. These lawsuits are from management that has made poor decisions. Rumors are that Mike Tadros general manager of underground utilities has been suspended with pay since late January. The manager of underground utilities Tim Potter is still working every day after several employees gave statements that these two managers sent them to do work on Rick Fernandez private property on City time using City equipment. These two managers got big promotions and big salary increases . We wonder why our taxes keep going up really. Maybe we need to ask Reese goad and the City commissioners why this is still happening these people need to be in the unemployment line along with the 47 employees that was terminated. The evidence is there that these two was neck-deep in it with Rick Fernandez why are they still employed please answer this question Reese goad.
Our COT at work: When they’re not busy . . .
(1) closing illicit “approvals” for cronies’ developments using CRA money and under-table payoffs through shell companies,
(2) using city employees, equipment, and taxpayer funds for their private residences and/or campaign functions,
(3) hiring relatives at ridiculous salaries for jobs they have no qualifications to perform,
(4) hiring relatives’ companies in rigged “contract bidding” shams so the relatives receive large amounts of taxpayer money,
. . . then they’re busy trying to settle expensive lawsuits from wronged former employees.
As I recall, this is the 2nd lawsuit from a former Tallahassee firefighter. The last one involved over a million dollars, and COT lost that hands-down. Whatever wrong you do eventually comes back to you, or rather, the taxpayer’s pockets.
That’s what they always say, is the settlement would be far less blah, blah, they never go to trial, city has an open check book, great attorneys! How many lawsuits are settle, and for how much in the last decade for wrongful termination. How much money has Marie Mattox made over the last 20 years from the City of Tallahassee?
Who was his lawyer?
I’m guessing: Marie Maddox.
Next time I pay property taxes, I should just cut out “the middleman” and write her name on my check, smh.