Scott County settled with a fired employee who filed a whistleblower lawsuit and claimed she was wrongfully terminated.
The Scott County Supervisors approved Thursday a settlement of $175,000 to settle claims by Tara Chase, formerly Tara Sbertoli, without admitting wrongdoing.
Chase was fired Aug. 3, 2023, from her position with the Sheriff's Office. She filed suit in March of 2024 alleging a violation of Iowa's whistleblower statute and a claim of wrongful termination.
The county retained an outside attorney, Amy Reasner, in July 2025, according to the county. After analyzing the case and the costs of going to trial, and after discussions with the Scott County Board of Supervisors, parameters were set for potential settlement, according to the county board documents.
Board Chair John Maxwell said the county supervisors followed the advice of its legal counsel in the decision to settle.
Chase worked as a Scott County sex offender registry specialist for three years.
She alleged the county fired her in retaliation for reporting improper conduct by Sheriff Tim Lane and his wife, Jennifer McAndrew, who works as a parole and probation officer for the Iowa Department of Corrections. Chase alleged McAndrew was improperly monitoring a person who was supposed to have been discharged from probation or parole. She said she was then fired for using a personal computer for work use.
Lane and McAndrew have denied any allegations of wrongdoing and the county also is not admitting any...
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