NORTHAMPTON — A settlement in a wrongful termination lawsuit filed against the Hampshire Council of Governments has been reached but the details are being kept quiet, for now.
A status report filed in U.S. District Court in Springfield on Aug. 1 by the council and former electricity department employee John P. O’Rourke states the parties have agreed to a settlement and asks for 30 days to complete the settlement before having the case dismissed.
William Barnett, chairman of the council’s board of councilors, declined to comment Wednesday, saying he was not certain the settlement was fact yet but expected it to be discussed at HCOG’s executive committee session Thursday.
In the lawsuit, filed in December 2014, O’Rourke alleged his due process rights under the council’s personnel policies were violated when he was laid off. He also alleged the council violated the state’s Open Meeting Law when the executive committee met behind closed doors in 2013 to recommend reorganizing the electricity department.
O’Rourke represented himself in the lawsuit. He did not return a call for comment Wednesday afternoon.
A message left for one of the council’s attorneys, David. C. Jenkins, was not returned Wednesday.
In May, O’Rourke declined a $38,558 settlement offer made by HCOG, saying continuing the saga in court is “necessary to expose the unethical and illegal actions of the defendants,” to “vindicate O’Rourke,” and to require testimony of those who “will confirm the pattern of behavior of the defendants to mistreat and abuse employees,” according to court records.
O’Rourke stated that he is owed more than $160,000 in lost wages, accrued vacation time, other benefits and damages.
The lawsuit was scheduled to go to trial in July but both parties filed motions to continue.
Emily Cutts can be reached at ecutts@gazettenet.com.