2 years ago
Four years ago, Jamie Lawrence filed a sexual harassment complaint against her boss at the time, Deputy Public Works commissioner Mike Muscarella.
Muscarella was a boyhood friend of County Executive Giambra.
Lawrence's complaint was upheld, and Muscarella was fired by Giambra.
Lawrence then filed a lawsuit against the county.
Lawrence offered to settle the lawsuit for $65,000, but the county refused.
2 On Your Side has learned that the county and Lawrence did eventually agree to an out-of-court settlement to the case two years ago.
Earlier this year, 2 On Your Side reporter Scott Brown filed a Freedom Of Information request with the county, trying to find out just how much taxpayers paid to settle the suit, but the county refused our request.
We then went asked the control board, which has to approve any county spending over $50,000.
"The first we heard about this was when Channel 2 asked for the information under the Freedom Of Information act," said control board Chairman Anthony Baynes.
Baynes said the settlement was not submitted to the board for approval.
He also says the board has been unable to get any information about the settlement from the Collins' administration.
Brown: "Do you think the administration is trying to hide something?" Baynes: "I would give them the benefit of the doubt at this point, I would hope not. This is taxpayers' money, taxpayers have a right to know what's occured here."
Baynes said he planned to ask the Collins' administration about the settlement at Wednesday's control board meeting.
In response to that fact, and another request about the settlement from 2 On Your Side, Collins' spokesman Grant Loomis issued this statement:
"When a settlement was reached in this case, both Erie County and the plaintiff entered into a signed confidentiality agreement.
"The settlement was executed on 4/12/06, well prior to the Fiscal Stability Authority entering its control period. Therefore, the settlement agreement never came before the Authority for review, nor did it need to."
