The County Commission approved a proposed settlement agreement Tuesday in a two-year discrimination, then retaliation, lawsuit filed by a Marion County Fire Rescue employee against the county.
Marion County Fire Rescue Division Chief Shari Hall filed suit against the county in May 2016, claiming the county discriminated against her based on her gender when she was passed over in 2015 for the fire chief position, which was given to now-retired Paul Nevels.
After she filed complaints with the Florida Commission of Human Relations (FCHR) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and eventually a lawsuit in civil court, Hall claims, the county retaliated against her in the form of poor performance reviews and by denying her a promotion to deputy fire chief.
A Marion County judge has ruled that neither discrimination nor retaliation occurred in Hall’s case. The judge’s decision on retaliation is currently in the appeal process.