Calhoun County releases settlement agreement
By Jessica Priest, Victoria Advocate, Texas | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Although the attorney general's office ruled it was a public document
"There is no way it should have taken this long for the document to be released, but the right result was achieved in the end," said
Larsen wrote a letter to the attorney general's office on the
She said she was fired for complaining about the camera to County Judge
A recording of her undressing was not found.
Neither Guillen nor Lyssy could be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.
Lyssy and the county also stipulated in the agreement that they are not admitting liability. Guillen, in turn, agreed not to sue them about the matter again.
Precinct 3 Commissioner
When contacted Thursday afternoon, Fritsch was disappointed that he, too, was not sent a copy of the agreement.
"Well, not knowing the particulars other than what was published in the newspaper, I think it (the settlement amount) is way too much," Fritsch said after the
Lyssy said in a previous interview that he consulted with several departments before setting up the camera, which was hidden inside a computer speaker.
Lyssy set the camera up because he "sensed" employees were being disloyal and not informing him of missed calls. He had to prove or disprove that, he said.
Fritsch did not remember approving of the camera. He also did not understand why Guillen was changing her clothing in a public office.
Before a judge declared a mistrial in April, Guillen's attorneys explained to jurors that Lyssy's office was undergoing construction. The bathroom was too small and dirty, and Guillen received permission from Lyssy to change clothes in the office, they said.
"You know, sometimes there's a public perception that because we are commissioners that we get into each other's business and know everything that's going on, but I do not," Fritsch said. "If you're having problems with theft or vandalism, put your cameras up and say it's being videotaped. A lot of times, just putting up a sign would deter things."
From
The county paid the
Guillen filed the lawsuit in
Mueller did not know whether this policy's premiums more than doubled in cost because of an increase in claims.
"The only thing I know about changing carriers is that our insurance consultant told us that by changing carriers for not just this particular policy but for all of our policies, we were getting coverage more suited to the county's needs," Mueller said.
Fritsch also remembers the consultant's recommendations. They found that some areas of the county were overinsured while others were underinsured, he said.
"From that, we put out a request for proposals for that insurance, and GSM (Insurors of
There were "significant savings" with the
It was not known Thursday afternoon whether claims to the county's public officials' policy have increased.
Fritsch said the employee policy manual has also been revised, but he did not know whether changes were made in reaction to this lawsuit.
Fritsch has been in office since 2005, and Lyssy is on his second term. Their precincts abut on
Both men are Democrats.
"A lot of general thought is that Democrats are not conservative, but because we go to church and visit with people and see them in H-E-B and in
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