‘Exposed’ in lawsuit, city of Caldwell settles with former HR director, denies claims

Weeks after Caldwell’s former HR director filed a lawsuit against the city and Mayor Jarom Wagoner alleging retaliation by the City Council — which did not reappoint her after an investigation into Police Chief Rex Ingram — the city’s insurer has settled the suit.

Idaho Counties Risk Management Program, which provides the liability and property insurance to local government agencies, told the Idaho Statesman that it paid Shelli Boggie $400,000 as part of an agreement — to the city’s chagrin.

The city of Caldwell “continues to dispute the allegations made in the complaint,” according to spokesperson Char Jackson.

“It was not the decision nor the desire of the city to settle the case,” Jackson told the Statesman in a statement. “The decision to settle was made by the city’s insurance carrier to avoid the uncertainty of litigation.”

Boise-based private attorney Mike Kane, also the legal counsel for the ICRMP Board of Trustees, declined to comment on the reason for the settlement, noting that under Idaho’s Public Records Act, he’s allowed only to share the settlement amount.

But Boggie’s attorney, Brian Ertz, told the Statesman by phone that the fact the city’s insurer forced the settlement does not absolve Caldwell of any wrongdoing.

“Clearly, the insurer carrier believed that the city of Caldwell was exposed,” he said. “I concur with that assessment.”

Lawsuit details investigation into police chief

Concerns regarding Ingram — the city’s highest-paid employee at $182,000 annually — arose in January 2024 after an internal complaint from Caldwell Police Officer Allison Butler prompted Wagoner to direct Boggie to investigate the allegations, according to Boggie’s lawsuit.

Butler accused the chief in a lawsuit of making “offensive” and “gendered” comments toward her and of violating her civil rights by creating a hostile work environment, discriminating against her and retaliating against her when she reported her concerns.

The city commissioned an outside law firm, at Boggie’s direction, to conduct an independent investigation into complaints about Ingram’s behavior, according to Boggie’s lawsuit. Months later, the investigation sustained several of Butler’s allegations, “but abstained from concluding clear violation of law” or of city policy, the lawsuit said.

Based on the findings, Boggie formed a recommendation concerning Ingram’s employment with the city and presented it to Wagoner, according to her lawsuit. Both Wagoner and the city’s then-attorney rejected her recommendation.

It’s unclear what Boggie recommended, but she said her decision was based on her opposition to gender-based harassment, discrimination and hostile work environments.

“The position was plaintiff Boggie’s dream job,” the lawsuit said. “As a result of defendants’ wrongful conduct, Ms. Boggie’s professional reputation has been adversely impacted and it has foreclosed other employment opportunities.”

Ertz, her attorney, said Boggie was pleased with the settlement agreement, adding that she’s “committed to testifying honestly” in remaining lawsuits — which he said should concern the city.

Aside from Butler’s lawsuit, former Caldwell Police Officer Nathan Douthit sued the city over what he called the agency’s increased spending. He alleged that he was fired “because he dared question” the chief’s conduct.

“The city of Caldwell is committed to fostering a positive and respectful workplace environment and continues to review its policies to ensure fairness and equity for all employees,” Jackson said.

ICRMP also settled with Ingram’s former assistant

This was the second settlement paid out to a former city employee in the past year. Last July, ICRMP paid Meridian-based firm Armis Law $150,000 to settle a claim filed by Ingram’s former executive assistant, Gabriela Gudino, the agency told the Statesman.

ICRMP also made the decision to settle Gudino’s claim, Jackson said.

Attempts by the Statesman to obtain Gudino’s complaint have been unsuccessful. In December, the city declined a public records request for complaints filed by Gudino against the city or its police department, claiming that the documents were exempt from disclosure under personnel records.

Under state law, complaints against government agencies, such as tort claims, are considered public, but Jackson said Gudino never filed a tort claim. Bélen Meyers Law and Armis Law, who represented Gudino, declined to comment or provide information on the settlement, citing confidentiality agreements.

However, Gudino’s attorneys did send a demand letter on her behalf to the city regarding “issues of significant legal concern,” according to an April 2024 email sent by Meridian-based attorneys Belén Meyers and Jorge Salazar, which the Statesman obtained through the public records process.

The actual letter wasn’t disclosed, with the city again asserting that the records pertained to personnel matters. The Idaho Dispatch, a conservative website, obtained the letter and published it in its entirety. The seven-page letter alleged several instances of sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation by Ingram.

On Tuesday, Ingram told the Statesman in a text that he wasn’t privy to the settlement details and declined to comment for this story. In an unrelated interview last year, Ingram alluded to sexual harassment allegations and said he’d been cleared of any wrongdoing.

“Those were investigated, and I was cleared of those as well,” Ingram said during the in-person interview. “I don’t have any sustained sexual harassment complaints against me. I am not a sexual harasser.

“I despise and hate bosses that do that to their employees, specifically male bosses with female employees.”

©2025 The Idaho Statesman. Visit idahostatesman.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.