WILLMAR — The Kandiyohi County Board voted to approve a settlement agreement with former employee Odis King who had filed a whistleblower lawsuit alleging retaliatory firing.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the settlement after a closed session at the Jan. 20 meeting. The terms of the settlement agreement have not been made public.
King in the lawsuit alleged he was fired from his position as the director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management in retaliation for his reporting what he believed to be safety deficiencies in the department and potential wage violations in how the rescue squad is compensated. The county denied those claims.
According to a statement written by attorney Kendra Olson, who was representing the county in the lawsuit, the settlement agreement resolves all claims that King could have made in his lawsuit. The settlement is not an admission of guilt on the part of the county.
The relief sought by King as specified in the lawsuit had included a declaration that the county violated the law protecting whistleblower activity, damages of more that $50,000 for violations of the Minnesota Whistleblower Act, the expunging of adverse employment records and the opportunity to amend the court filing later to seek punitive damages.
King was hired by the county in April of 2024. In his position he oversaw emergency preparedness, recovery and response and directly managed the Kandiyohi County Rescue Squad and the Emergency Management Department.
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