The Fort Worth City Council voted unanimously to approve a settlement with a former police chief and two IT workers.
Former Chief Joel Fitzgerald and former IT workers William Birchett and Roland Burke were all fired in 2019, but sued the city alleging their firings were retaliation for blowing the whistle on alleged city corruption.
All three have agreed to drop their claims against the city in exchange for Fitzgerald getting $5.2 million, Birchett geting $2.4 million and Burke getting $2 million, according to documents released as part of the Fort Worth City Council’s Aug. 13 meeting agenda.
Fort Worth city council member Chris Nettles thanked the city attorney’s office saying the settlement will help the city move forward speaking at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Mayor Mattie Parker did not comment at Tuesday’s council meeting, but in a statement released after the vote contrasted Fitzgerald’s tenure with that of current police chief Neil Noakes.
“Watching Chief Noakes and his command staff work under intense pressure and heartbreaking circumstances yesterday was nothing short of phenomenal,” Parker said, adding its a reminder of the pride residents should have for their police department.
“It is both exhausting and unnecessary to continue discussing an individual who has not been employed by the city for over five years. Protracted litigation in Dallas hasn’t been productive and it is time to leave this where it belongs — in the past,” she said.
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