Former employees settle suit with county
Two former employees of the Fayette County controller’s office who were fired when Sean Lally took office have settled a federal lawsuit brought against the county and Lally. John Richnafsky of McClellandtown, who worked as an auditor from Oct. 9, 2007, through Jan. 7, agreed to settle the case for $29,129.38. Carly Bolish of Uniontown, who worked as an accounts payable clerk from Sept. 10, 2007, until Jan. 7, agreed to settle the suit for $17,129.38.
The settlement agreement also includes a total of $33,741.24 to be paid to the law firm Ogg, Cordes, Murphy & Igenlzi, LLP, which represented both Richnafsky and Bolish.
The agreement indicated the $80,000 will be paid through the Pennsylvania Counties Risk Pool, which is the county’s insurance company.
Richnafsky and Bolish sued Lally and the county earlier this year, claiming he improperly fired them when he took office this year. The suit claimed that their dismissals were politically motivated.
While there was a monetary settlement, the terms of it clearly indicate that it should not be construed as an admission of wrongdoing on behalf of Lally or the county.
The county and Lally “specifically deny and disclaim any liability” to Richnafsky and Bolish, according to the suit.
In exchange for the settlement, both plaintiffs agreed to dismiss the suit with prejudice, meaning that it cannot be refilled.
Richnafsky and Bolish also agreed not to seek employment with the controller’s office while Lally is in office, according to the settlement. The paperwork also prohibits both Richnafsky, Bolish and Lally from speaking ill of one another.
If a prospective employer inquires about the time either worked for the controller’s office, the agreement indicated that county representatives will only provide the dates of their employment and they position each held.
The case was settled last month after a meeting with a mediator.
Bolish and Richnafsky filed suit in February, claiming that they were fired because they supported Mark Roberts, the former controller. Lally beat Roberts in a hotly contested race for the Democratic nod for the seat as the county’s fiscal watchdog.
In April, county attorney Brian P. Gabriel filed paperwork denying claims that politics motivated the firings.
Gabriel had indicated that even if Richnafsky and Bolish supported Roberts, “the same decisions would have been made irrespective of such activity or association.”