Polk County supervisors narrowly approved hiring a law firm last week to try to recover part of last month’s $2.5 million settlement with former HR director Jim Nahas.
Why it matters: Even though insurance covers part of the settlement, taxpayers still bear the burden of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
- Local leaders have a fiduciary duty to seek recovery for the external legal advice that led to the loss, county administrator Frank Marasco tells Axios.
Catch up quick: Nahas was fired in 2021 after county officials said he mishandled a sexual harassment complaint made against Supervisor Matt McCoy by deputy administrator Sarah Boese.
- McCoy has denied the allegations. Lawsuits filed by Boese against the county for harassment and retaliation after she wasn’t promoted to top administrator last year are ongoing.
Friction point: Nahas’ petition said his firing was political and that county officials threatened to publicly release an unflattering termination letter if he didn’t resign.
- County officials ultimately issued a letter accusing him of being evasive or dishonest, which became one of the main points in his wrongful termination case.
State of play: A jury verdict last year awarded $4.26 million to Nahas, including $5,000 in punitive damages each from current Supervisors Tom Hockensmith and Angela Connolly for their roles in the case…