Almost 10 years to the day since Melinda Pearson was demoted from her job as Augusta Parks and Recreation operations manager, she won a $800,000 settlement in a lawsuit contending she was injured and discriminated against by the city.
“May 2, 2012, is when they did it. When I got the call today I got choked up,” said Pearson, a former career government employee and the daughter of longtime elections director Linda Beazley.
After a closed-door session Tuesday, the Augusta Commission approved the settlement 9-1 with Commissioner Brandon Garrett opposed. Commissioner John Clarke said lawyers advised the city could lose up to $1.5 million if the case went to trial.
“This thing has been going on for years now,” Clarke said. “The $800,000 would have been much better than going to a jury, and what they were pretty much guaranteed to give them.”
Pearson, represented by attorney John P. Batson, claimed in her lawsuit her demotion was much harsher than how others were treated and violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
A 29-year, salaried employee with existing injuries, she had recently returned from 10 weeks of donated sick leave when then-Recreation Director Tom Beck approved her time card, which showed her on the job for four days while she was off.
Beck was fired by the commission for approving the time card and no other stated reason. He claimed he’d inherited the practice of paying recreation employees for...
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