Hunt suit vs. Chippewa County settled for $160K

Sept. 29--Nearly three years after Dennis Hunt was fired from his post as Chippewa County finance director, the county has agreed to pay him $160,000 to drop his wrongful termination lawsuit.

An 11-page settlement agreement released Thursday calls for Hunt to receive the payment in exchange for him agreeing to "completely release, dismiss, waive, surrender and discharge all of his allegations, claims, complaints, charges, actions and causes of action ... against Chippewa County" and its current and former representatives.

Hunt, who now operates his own financial services company, had sued the county for $1.1 million over his Nov. 4, 2014, firing by Administrator Frank Pascarella.

A two-week jury trial in the case, which had been scheduled to begin Monday in Eau Claire County Court, has been canceled.

The Chippewa County Board approved the settlement agreement in a closed session meeting Tuesday night.

"We felt it was in the best interest of the county as a whole to put this behind us and move forward," Pascarella said Thursday. "We have a lot of projects and programs we want to address."

He pointed out that the agreement indicates the county acknowledges no wrongdoing in the case and said county staff members remain comfortable with decisions that were made related to Hunt's firing.

Meanwhile, Hunt's attorney, Peter Reinhardt of Bakke Norman in Menomonie, said Hunt stood up for his beliefs throughout the process.

"The terms of the agreement and the amount of money they paid him speak for themselves," Reinhardt said, adding, "Mr. Hunt is pleased and satisfied with the result."

A key factor leading to the settlement is that both sides recognized a trial likely wouldn't end legal action in the case, Reinhardt said. The settlement indicates both sides "desire to avoid the expense and uncertainty of continued litigation."

"If we went forward with the trial, regardless of the result, we most likely were going to be tied up in appeals for one or two more years," he said.

Pascarella said the county's insurer, Wisconsin Municipal Mutual Insurance Co., was instrumental in pushing for a settlement.

"They were determined that the settlement take place," Pascarella said.

The county's insurer will pay the entire financial settlement amount, he said, although Chippewa County taxpayers were responsible for the first $100,000 of litigation costs in both the Hunt case and a previously dismissed lawsuit filed by former county risk manager Connie Goss, who was placed on administrative leave the same day Hunt was fired. Goss later resigned.

"It's good that both sides can move on," said Hunt, who signed the agreement Wednesday.

The settlement calls for Hunt not to initiate any new legal proceedings or complaints related to his employment with Chippewa County and to waive any reinstatement rights. Hunt also agreed not to apply for the county administrator position that will become available when Pascarella's contract expires at the end of this year.

The agreement also stipulates that neither Hunt nor county officials and employees will speak disparagingly about each other.

The issue that led to Hunt's dismissal arose over a proposal in fall 2014 to add a new position in the human resources office. Hunt contends Pascarella told him, in a meeting with no eyewitnesses, to provide false information to the County Board about the financial impact so the new position would be approved. Pascarella denies making that statement.

Hunt filed one lawsuit in July 2015 and two more in September 2015, claiming several county officials defamed him, causing him humiliation and loss of potential future earnings. In August, Eau Claire County Judge William Gabler dismissed Hunt's lawsuits against Pascarella and former County Board Chairman Paul Michels but kept intact Hunt's lawsuit against Chippewa County.

The County Board voted in November 2014 that Pascarella acted within his authority to fire Hunt and then in June 2015 to extend Pascarella's contract through Dec. 31, 2017. Pascarella announced in June he would not seek a contract extension.

Contact: 715-833-9209, eric.lindquist@ecpc.com, @ealscoop on Twitter

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