  Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 706 Registered: 08-2004 |
Council ponders Conyers case City lawyers press for binding arbitration in suit that ex-staffer agreed to settle for $90,000. Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News http://detroitnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20080923/M ETRO/809230375 DETROIT -- City lawyers are urging council members to enter binding arbitration to settle a lawsuit with a former staffer of Council President Monica Conyers, who is expected to allege in court that she was fired after being forced to do personal errands for the councilwoman, according to a confidential law department memo. Lawyers for Yakima Washington, an assistant to Conyers, and the city of Detroit had hashed out an agreement -- outside of court -- in November 2007 to settle for $90,000, as long as Washington agreed to sign a confidentiality agreement. But the city never paid up and Washington filed a lawsuit in March to enforce the settlement. This week, the city's law department will ask a council committee to take the case to binding arbitration. Washington doesn't detail her allegations against Conyers in her lawsuit, but in a confidential law department memo reviewed by The Detroit News on Monday, a city attorney wrote that the law department expects Washington's lawsuit to turn into a whistle-blower case, alleging that "she was about to report that she was being asked to run personal errands for the councilwoman." And the law department said council members, in green-lighting arbitration, should take into account the "recent large verdicts for whistle-blower cases," an obvious reference to the infamous $8.4 million text message scandal payout. "I just don't believe this was a case that should have gone to a jury for a lot of reasons," Valerie Colbert-Osamuede said on Monday, referring to Washington's case. "We had just had a pretty large (whistle-blower) verdict." A staffer for Conyers declined comment Monday, saying that the lawyers told Conyers not to talk publicly about the pending case. Washington's attorney, Thomas Warnicke, wouldn't comment on whether Washington was forced to do personal errands or any other allegations. He said he wants to play it safe and not go into details because there was a proposed confidentiality agreement in the initial agreement with the city. But Colbert-Osamuede confirmed that the errands allegation was "going to form the basis of (Washington's) whistle-blower claims." Warnicke said more allegations may come out if the case continues. He said he doesn't want to go to binding arbitration. Both sides would have to agree in order to enter into arbitration. "I don't feel the need to do it now," Warnicke said. "A deal is a deal." Washington was fired Aug. 27, 2007, according to a letter signed by Sam Riddle, Conyers' former chief of staff. Less than three months later, Colbert-Osamuede sent a letter to Warnicke saying the city was ready to settle for $90,000, if Washington signed a confidentiality agreement. Washington hadn't filed a lawsuit at that point. Colbert-Osamuede said Monday she had hoped to settle the case through the law department's claims' process, which often doesn't require city council approval but does get evaluated by the risk management department. But she said after further review, she realized that employment matters can't be settled through the claims process. The City Council must approve all civil litigation settlements. Colbert-Osamuede said it is relatively common for the law department to try and settle a case before it goes to court and that confidentiality agreements are common as well. A confidentiality agreement took center stage in the whistle-blower scandal, which in part gave former Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick possession of the damaging text messages. The confidentiality agreement wasn't released by the city, but a judge eventually released it as a part of a lawsuit brought by The Detroit News and the Detroit Free Press. A city lawyer has testified that confidentiality agreements are public under the Freedom of Information Act. Conyers isn't the only council member to face a lawsuit from a former employee. The city of Detroit was sued by a former staffer of then-Council President Kenneth Cockrel Jr., alleging he wouldn't let her return from medical leave in 2003. The City Council ----including Cockrel -- voted unanimously to settle that case for $95,000 and that settlement also contained a confidentiality agreement. Conyers previously has faced allegations that she misused government staffers working for her husband. In 1999 and again in 2004, investigators for the House Ethics Committee interviewed staffers for Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit, probing whether he used taxpayer-paid employees for personal gain. A staffer alleged she was assigned to tutor his wife for her law school classes and to take care of the couple's two children while Monica Conyers attended law school. The committee never issued any findings. | ||
Lmichigan Member Username: Lmichigan Post Number: 6272 Registered: 10-2003 |
Yakima Washington? You have got to be kidding me with that name. | ||
Aiw Member Username: Aiw Post Number: 6724 Registered: 10-2003 |
She must be from the west side | ||
Chrissy_snow Member Username: Chrissy_snow Post Number: 278 Registered: 07-2008 |
Why would they need binding arbitration if the city has already agreed to the payout - but never paid? Why don't they just pay? Ms. Washington should push for damages, late fees, interest, and whatever else she has coming. Seems the city has an awful habit of stiffing folks and trying to avoid living up to their financial responsibilities. Kwame's gone now - who are they gonna blame? Just pay the woman. | ||
Daddeeo Member Username: Daddeeo Post Number: 142 Registered: 09-2008 |
As Homer Simpson says, "Doh". | ||
Goat Member Username: Goat Post Number: 10393 Registered: 10-2003 |
With all of the money Detroit spends on lawsuits they could add another hundred plus cops. Windsor and Detroit two peas in a rotting pod... | ||
Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 709 Registered: 08-2004 |
Detroit council members hold session to discuss Conyers' staffer lawsuit Christine MacDonald / The Detroit News http://detroitnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20080925/M ETRO/809250456/1361 DETROIT -- Council members Kwame Kenyatta and Brenda Jones voted today to authorize a closed session to discuss a lawsuit that a former aide to Councilwoman Monica Conyers has filed against the city, despite protests from Conyers. Conyers said she would not authorize the closed session and called it a "smear campaign" by Councilwoman Sheila Cockrel, saying the lawsuit is "not any of her business." The full City Council would have to approve the closed session on Tuesday. City lawyers want council members to enter binding arbitration to settle the lawsuit with Yakima Washington, who is expected to allege in court that she was fired after being forced to do personal errands for the councilwoman, according to a confidential law department memo. Lawyers for Washington, an assistant to Conyers, and the city of Detroit had hashed out an out-of-court agreement in November to settle for $90,000, as long as Washington agreed to sign a confidentiality agreement. But the city never paid, and Washington filed a lawsuit in March to enforce the settlement. Conyers has declined comment on the case and a call to her spokeswoman earlier this week was not returned. City lawyer Valerie Colbert-Osamuede said on Monday that she is recommending that the case go to arbitration -- and not before a judge or jury -- because whistle-blower cases are relatively easy to prove. Monica certainly has it in for Shelia. What's her beef with Ms Cockrel on this one? Kwame Kenyatta and Brenda Jones were the ones who authorize the closed session. I can't wait for this one to blow up! | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 1826 Registered: 11-2004 |
Sheila and Monica seem to be going at it a lot lately. I think this little inter-council feud will get pretty interesting by the time next year's city election rolls around. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 682 Registered: 11-2003 |
E_hemingway, you are joking right? Monica will be out soon. | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 1827 Registered: 11-2004 |
I don't know about that. As I posted a few days ago, I don't see Monica resigning quietly for the good of the city if/when she is charged by the feds. I wouldn't be surprised if she isn't re-elected (I wouldn't be shocked if she is, too) but I think the smart money is she will be around until at least the city election next year. | ||
Rjlj Member Username: Rjlj Post Number: 683 Registered: 11-2003 |
$100? | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 1829 Registered: 11-2004 |
How about a beer at FSC? I could see Monica stepping down because she has her hubby to fall back on to maintain her lifestyle, but I don't think she is smart enough to do that. | ||
Lodgedodger Member Username: Lodgedodger Post Number: 607 Registered: 05-2008 |
She won't be voted in again. I'd join the wager, but FSC happens on a night I'm not available. *sigh* Would love to meet you folks. *hug* | ||
Leland_palmer Member Username: Leland_palmer Post Number: 711 Registered: 08-2004 |
Sounds like things are just getting started. "This is just another smear tactic for council member Cockrel," she said. "We're not going to get into a tit for tat." Conyers then asked the Law Department to look into a lawsuit she said Cockrel filed against the city over emergency response after Cockrel's husband, the late Kenneth Cockrel Sr., died in 1989 of a heart attack. After learning of Conyers' request, Sheila Cockrel, who is not a member of the committee, denounced the allegation as a lie and said she never sued the city over her husband's death. "It's bottom-feeding, vicious gossip," she said. |
