Jill Verros, former assistant to the supervisor, has obtained a $340,000 settlement from Orion Township, resolving her eleven-count lawsuit against the township, which included suits against Clerk Jill Bastian and Treasurer Alice Young.
Under the terms of the agreement, Verros? termination from the township will be treated as a resignation, and she will receive a letter of recommendation from the township.
The settlement ends a suit brought in June 2007, in which Verros claimed she had been denied benefits and had been unlawfully terminated in retaliation for discovering and reporting to the board that she and other contract employees were eligible for such benefits.
Verros also claimed she had been defamed by public statements made by Bastian and Young relative to her qualifications as the township’s human resources (HR) representative.
The township acknowledged that the matter had been settled, but Supervisor Jerry Dywasuk would not comment on the nature of the settlement.
‘We wanted to get this thing settled as quickly as possible,? Dywasuk said.
The township hired attorney Laura S. Amtsbuechler, a former Oakland County assitant prosecutor, to represent them back in June.
Verros claimed that during her tenure with the township, she reported numerous violations of employment law to the supervisor and the township board, adding that she made policy recommendations to correct these violations, but the board refused to make the necessary changes.
‘This significant settlement occurring so early in the case speaks volumes and sends a powerful message to the Board of Trustees that retaliation for reporting violations of employment will not be tolerated,? Said Verros? attorney, Deborah Gordon. ‘Jill was very courageous to see this through.?
Regarding the proper payment of her benefits, Verros? legal team said the former assistant attempted to informally settle the matter and brought the matter before the board at numerous meetings.
‘The board knew that the attorneys would advise them that they could not legally discharge me,? Verros said. ‘The supervisor and I had already advised them in writing of that fact.
‘Regrettably, they chose to ignore the employment laws and willfully violated the law by doing so,? she added. ‘This was an arrogant abuse of power on their part and resulted in the escalation of a simple matter into serious and particularly egregious violations of my constitutional rights.?
Verros? side said they were disappointed that their evidence against Bastian and Young will not be made public, but Verros said she is pleased that the matter is now closed so she can put it all behind her.
She also gave thanks to many township department heads, employees, and community leaders and residents who she said quietly supported and rallied behind her.
‘Their support and encouragement inspired me to continue fighting the good fight on behalf of employees everywhere,? she said. ‘Employment laws were created to protect employees from abusive employers and I needed to send a strong message to the township board that they can no longer purposely ignore and violate employment laws or they will be held accountable.?
Look for more in next week’s Review.