Springfield settles lawsuit with fired dispatcher for $75K

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – The city of Springfield has agreed to pay $75,000 to settle a 2014 lawsuit by a dispatcher who said she was wrongly fired after accusing officers of inappropriate conduct.

The Register-Guard reported Sunday that a joint statement from the city and the former dispatcher, Melanie Nichol, states the city denies all wrongdoing but agreed to have its insurance company pay Nichol.

The agreement bars either side from providing additional comment to the media.

Nichol filed the lawsuit more than a year after Springfield Police Chief Rick Lewis fired her and ruled that she had not been completely truthful with city police and human resources investigators who handled misconduct complaints that she had made against several officers.

She filed suit after her Bureau of Labor and Industries complaint was dismissed.

___

Information from: The Register-Guard, http://www.registerguard.com