The city is preparing to settle the sexual harassment complaint Sandra Tingle filed against the city in 2008.
City leaders met in closed session Feb. 22 to discuss settling the case for $30,000. Tingle, who worked as Mayor Gary Becker's assistant from 2003-2008, accuses the city of creating a sexually hostile work environment. She filed suit in July 2008 shortly after she was fired from her city job.
The city hired an outside law firm to investigate Tingle's case, but no merit was found to Tingle's claims. Tingle and her attorney, Nola Cross, then filed a case with the state's Equal Rights Commission, which dismissed the case.
Tingle is now appealing the Equal Rights Division decision and a three-day appeal hearing is scheduled for April. The city hopes to settle the case before this hearing, according to people familiar with the settlement discussions.
The city's motivation for settling is mounting legal fees. It's already spent $70,000 on the case and is on the hook for at least another $40,000 in legal fees before insurance kicks in. There's also a chance Tingle could win the case, which could cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars more.
Tingle could also file a complaint in federal court, which would cost the city tens of thousands of dollars more in legal fees, plus the risk of losing the case and being on the hook for another big payout.
Any settlement with Tingle will have to be approved by the City Council. City officials close to the discussions said it was unclear when the the council would take up the settlement.
Update: Comments closed on this story because of some really, really not nice things said about several people.
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ReplyDeleteGood for her! She deserves it after what they put her through. Good things do happen to good people.
ReplyDeleteRacine Post editors - the comment at 3:12 needs to be deleted.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, it's easy to see where Racine Post stands on this issue. How about trying to write without showing your feelings on your sleeve for a changes Dustin? It's also obvious that you are buddies with Mr. Hughes.
ReplyDeleteI for one know there were issues with Mr. Hughes, and obviously there were even bigger ones with Gary Becker. It is no surprise the city plans to settle. At least try to make an attempt to be professional and unbiased in your "reporting" on this Dustin.
I was working at city hall when this whole thing happened and know that the first complaint was filed BEFORE she was fired, not after.
ReplyDeleteI think it was elevated to the next level at some point afterwards, but definitely a complaint was done while she was still there. There are no secrets in city hall, so most of us knew about it.
For the record, I knew Sandra and thought she was great, very helpful and always nice. So if you're reading this Sandra - I'm glad this is finally coming to an end for you.
She's full of it. Why are giving her money? Is it a political favor from our new Mayor. If I am correct, they are really really good pals, aren't they?
ReplyDeleteI remember in a past article that Dickert was listing her house for sale before he became mayor. What connection does Dickert have with Tingle and who has the listing now? Is it the same brokerage office and who manages the office? Could there be a giant spider web of fraud against the city and its people?
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ReplyDeleteDoubt it was a political favor 3:29 since they had moved out of the country well before his election - stop trying to create conspiracy theories.
ReplyDeleteRacinePost, the comment at 3:35 needs to be deleted.
ReplyDeletesweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
ReplyDeleteChance? She will win.
ReplyDeleteI had the chance to work with on projects she is one of the best in Racine.
ReplyDeleteI think she was driven out of town.
I hope she gets at least the 30,000 if not more
My understanding is that there were no saints in this situation. Both sides own this one. I don't think the city should pay out for two individual's behavior.
ReplyDeleteJust wait till the Dickert lawsuits start coming! They're on the way!
ReplyDeleteAll I can say is Sandi did an excellent job planning the Sister City visit from Mexico a couple years ago.
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ReplyDeleteFigures - Sister City is a boondogle.
ReplyDeleteGo Sandra May!
ReplyDeleteYea - go away!
ReplyDeleteDickert, you are a chicken sh**! Way to defend our city from attcks like this. Are you going to deliver the check to England personally?
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ReplyDeleteWhat's a boondogle? I doubt it was Sandra's decision whether to have a sister city or not.
ReplyDeleteAnd the winner is...
ReplyDelete...Nola Cross!!!
Everyone else loses!
Lets see you lost twice. But we are going to pay her anyway because it is costing us too much money. Where is the logic in that?
ReplyDeleteWe are sending the wrong message, go ahead and sue us. Even if you lose we will pay so we don't have too high of legal costs.
She left that ugly house here (my opinion). She carried on with the mayor (if you believe what he says). I don't think we should give her a penny. Glad they are in London. Don't miss em a bit.
Maybe now her husband will pay us the money he owes for using the trolley to campaign.
Anonymous 4:41 - Gee you sound like an old Jim Smith fan. Get over it already! Smiths are has-beens and have been has-beens for a long time. It's time to move on with your life!
ReplyDeleteWhich "CITY OFFICIAL" is leaking information to the press??? Just curious. The city probably knows who they can and can't trust....
ReplyDeleteIf the city settles, then the information regarding activity and behavior in city administration will be off limits due to confidentiality clauses. We will never know if Tingle was, in fact, having an affair with Becker while he was in office, or if that relationship was one of sexual harassment.
ReplyDeleteRacine again sweeps another scandal under the rug.
I am more interested in the city employee that Becker mentioned in his chats that he said was interested in getting it on with a young girl along with him. There was also another city employee mentioned in the sentencing trial. Wny wasn't her name made public? And the person he bought bras and panties for??
ReplyDelete4:55 The real question is which city officials can the PEOPLE OF RACINE trust or not trust. Our new mayor is as good at hiding his secrets as our old mayor was. Don't forget people they are supposed to be working for us, not hiding things from us.
ReplyDeleteIs an alderman/alderwoman leaking info that isn't supposed to be? I'd like to know who they are and if they are violating a confidentiality agreement.
ReplyDeleteIf she was having an affair with our Mayor, she shouldn't be entitled to anything. If she wasn't having an affair, she should receive a severence check.
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ReplyDeleteYou deserve it Sandra.
ReplyDeleteYeah I kinda doubt this was public information just yet from what it sounds. When they say City officials, what does that mean exactly? Is it aldermen or could that mean employees at city hall?
ReplyDelete$30,000 here, $40,000 there, who cares? It's only taxpayer money.
ReplyDeleteThe same City Council presided over the city when all of this took place. Nothing, absolutely nothing, has changed. They will pay off whomever they need to pay off, with our money. It is disgusting and revolting.
I worked with Sandra on the Sister City Planning Commission. She was a nice person and a hard worker and I wish her the best.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, the commission is a very worthy cause.
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ReplyDeleteYo, 6:01 -- read the story before commenting like a moron!
ReplyDeleteThe story says that if they do not pay, the city will have to pay even more in legal fees. They can't just do nothing -- lawyers cost money. This tingle woman is just abusing the sytem.
If the alternative is 100k more in legal fees, or buy her off for 50k, I say buy her off and be done. I want the other 50k to repair my street!
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ReplyDeleteThe Tingles were at Dickert's election night party.
ReplyDeleteAnon 6:56- Sandy Tingle's lawsuit was dismissed twice. If she continues to file it again and again, a judge will rule she has to pay Racine's legal fees. This is not about saving money.
ReplyDeletePete close the comments. You did that for the Johnsons you need to do that here.
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