Sullivan settles with whistleblower

Posted 8/21/12

MONTICELLO, NY — The Sullivan County Legislature on April 21 authorized the settlement of a lawsuit brought against the county by an employee, who was caught up in the turmoil that gripped the …

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Sullivan settles with whistleblower

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MONTICELLO, NY — The Sullivan County Legislature on April 21 authorized the settlement of a lawsuit brought against the county by an employee, who was caught up in the turmoil that gripped the Division of Family Services (DFS) during the tenure of former commissioner Randy Parker. The settlement is for $200,000.

Kim Martin, whose allegations of fraud in DFS lead to the arrests of county staffers, filed the lawsuit against the county six months ago, claiming her supervisors retaliated against her and created a hostile work environment in response to her revelations.

Martin was hired as a data entry clerk in 2002 and advanced through the ranks until, as of June 2012, she was responsible for supervising and training new hires who perform social work examinations.

At one point, she found irregularities and reported them to state officials. According to her lawsuit, one of the people ultimately arrested because of her reports threatened Martin with physical harm at work.

Martin claimed that by April 2014, she was “stripped of her supervisory duties and moved to the legal department.” She was moved several times and had no functions to perform until April 2015, when she was assigned to a supervisor with whom she had a “notoriously poor relationship.”

The settlement apparently brings an end to the matter and to Martin’s employment with the county. Her attorney said she will end her tenure as a county employee.

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