Top officers in Collin County and 6 provide and previous staff reached a agreement on April 17, 2023, for $1.75 million over accusations of sexual harassment and retaliation inside the district lawyer’s place of work.
According to a federal lawsuit filed on November 1, 2022, District Attorney Greg Willis used to be accused of constructing repeated beside the point feedback, touching staff inappropriately and making indecent proposals to them. The lawsuit additionally accused the First Assistant District Attorney, Bill Wirskye, of constructing a poisonous paintings setting by way of harassing and discriminating in opposition to girls.
The lawsuit by way of Kim Pickrell, Keith Henslee, Fallon Lafleur, Vykim Le, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 contains 75 pages price of claims and allegations towards DA Willis, Wirskye, County Judge Chris Hill and all 4 county commissioners.
Willis denied all allegations and known as them “false, defamatory and outrageous.”
During a press convention on November 16, 2022, Willis offered “extraordinary evidence” he claims debunks all allegations within the lawsuit. During the convention, he performed an audio recording and displayed a number of letters from the plaintiffs that he believed cleared his title.
“Given the mountain of factual evidence, I call upon these plaintiffs and their lawyers to stop wasting taxpayer money, admit that this public evidence debunks their false allegations, and to drop their lawsuit,” Willis mentioned in an reputable remark.
First Assistant DA Wirskye additionally denied the allegations and claimed that this lawsuit used to be caused by political motivation all the way through the time of a reelection race. He mentioned that there’s proof pointing to the truth that the present and previous staff had efficiency problems all the way through their time within the place of work. However, no evidence used to be given.
The commissioners allegedly had identified in regards to the harassment for years and refused to do so to prevent it. The plaintiffs expressed that they had been reprimanded for going to human sources in opposition to Willis and the others. According to the go well with, in addition they filed proceedings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Texas Workforce Commission.
“These individuals care very deeply for each other’s well-being. That support gave them the courage to stand up for themselves, their rights, and those of their colleagues,” said their attorney Jeffrey Simon of Simon Greenstone Panatier, P.C.
The plaintiffs will percentage the agreement similarly, which will likely be paid from the county’s insurance plans. The plaintiffs, a few of that have been nonetheless hired by way of the county, resigned as a situation of the agreement.
“Legislation adopted in 2021 prohibits sexual harassment settlements from being funded through public funds,” mentioned Susan Hutchison, the gang’s co-counsel, of Hutchison & Foreman, PLLC. “This settlement essentially maxed out the county’s available insurance money.”