When a person sues his or her employer, or former employer, the employer often attempts to quickly settle the lawsuit out of court. This is because it is generally less expensive as well as less damaging to the employer’s reputation to avoid litigation. In some cases, it is very beneficial for the plaintiff as well to settle things in mediation or arbitration. However, sometimes it would be wise for the plaintiff to take the matter before a judge, and it is important to work with an employment law attorney to ensure one follows the better path.

An employment lawsuit was recently settled outside of court in Pohatcong Township, New Jersey. According to a news report, the town paid $15,000 to settle the harassment and wrongful termination allegations of a former deputy court administrator.

The deputy court administrator was reportedly hired by Pohatcong Township in January 2010 and worked for the town until he was fired a bit more than a year later. Following his termination, the man filed a lawsuit accusing his supervisor of harassing and firing him because he had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

When the lawsuit was filed in September 2011, the township maintained that the man was fired because of his work performance and that the employer was not aware of his ADHD.

It has now been reported that the former deputy court administrator accepted a $15,000 settlement in November, and he has also agreed not to file any further litigation against the township. He will also now be banned from future employment with the township.

It is difficult to speculate about whether this was a fair and appropriate settlement without further details regarding the allegations. However, in any employment law case, plaintiffs often benefit from seeking employment law counsel before agreeing to a settlement. In many cases, plaintiffs trust their employer’s attorneys or their employer’s human resources representatives, but these people work for the employer; it is wise for plaintiffs to enlist their own attorneys to protect their interests.

Source: LeHighValleyLive.com, “Ex-Pohatcong Township court employee’s termination suit settled for $15,000,” Kathryn Brenzel, Feb. 14, 2013

• Our New Jersey law firm handles wrongful termination and harassment cases like the one discussed here. For more information about this area of our legal practice, please visit our Wrongful Termination page.