Clay County Pays Substantial Settlement to Exiting Employees

On Wednesday, November 4, KCUR reported that Clay County government will pay large severance and settlements to five top level county employees who have decided to leave their positions on or before December 31.

The resignations include assistant county administrators Nicole Brown, Laurie Portwood and Brad Garrett, as well as Nikki Thorn and Melissa Mohler. The payout is more than $350,000.

You don’t make a settlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars without documents - Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte

In separation agreements, Brown and Portwood alleged Presiding Commissioner Jerry Nolte sexually harassed them. Thorn and Mohler didn’t name a specific commissioner, however Thorn alleges gender discrimination and ethical misconduct.

Nolte denied the allegations, and said Brown and Portwood didn’t provide proof. Nolte stated that there have been no formal complaints against him.

Nolte also said the county shouldn’t have paid out such a large sum without documentation and independent reports.

“You don’t make a settlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars without documents,” he said. “I think this kind of practice needs to end where we are making huge payouts.” Nolte opposed the settlements and didn’t sign the documents.

In addition to the complaints against Nolte, Brad Garrett alleges “pervasive harassment and intimidation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Department.” Because of Garrett’s claims, which also include complaints of harassment by Nolte, the county is paying Garrett three months of severance pay and $50,000.

Clay County Sheriff Paul Vescovo told KCUR that Garrett never filed an official complaint with the sheriff’s office.

Nolte said that none of the allegations are true, and said he wasn’t aware of any complaint filed with county HR or the Missouri Commission on Human Rights, which investigates employment discrimination. A spokeswoman for the commission said because of state laws she “cannot confirm or deny whether or not a complaint has been filed.”

Nolte also took issue with the process of approving the settlements. According to Nolte, the vote to approve the agreements occurred during a closed commission session with “less than an hour” of discussion. “With a lack of full discussion, with the lack of any evidence, the lack of any outside independent reports, it feels like this is just golden parachutes being passed out,” he stated.

KPGZ News – Brian Watts and KCUR contributed to this story