ASHEVILLE - The city has settled a federal discrimination suit with a former high-ranking female firefighter, marking an unusual result for a type of lawsuit that rarely reaches such a stage.
Joy Ponder, who ascended to Asheville Fire Department's third-highest rank of division chief before being stripped of her duties, will receive $155,000 for "compensatory damages, including emotional distress," her attorney John Hunter said April 11.
"I believe and hope that this settlement makes a statement that women will not just stand and be silent when treated unjustly," Ponder said.
As part of the settlement, Ponder voluntarily dismissed the claim in U.S. District Court in Asheville on April 8 — one and a half years after filing it against city government and Fire Chief Scott Burnette.
Hunter, who has represented municipal employees against the city for 15 years, said it was likely the second-largest settlement one of his clients has reached with Asheville.
"What is unusual for a gender discrimination case is for them to survive summary judgement. The city didn't come forward with settlement offers until that happened," he said.
Bo Carpenter, an Asheville attorney who works in employment law said it is unusual for discrimination cases to advance to the point of a settlement or trial and that most settlements do not reach $100,000.
"In my history records representing employees, it is very rare to get a settlement in the six figures," Carpenter said.
But City Attorney Brad Branham...
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