County approves $170k settlement of lawsuit brought by deputy coroners
POTTSVILLE – The Schuylkill County Commissioners approved a settlement Wednesday of a 2017 federal lawsuit in which three deputy coroners alleged they were fired when they requested overtime pay owed to them.
Commissioners approved the settlement agreement which does not admit wrongdoing by the county. In total, $170,000 will be paid to the three plaintiffs — $25,000 paid by the county, split evenly between the three and their attorneys, with the balance being paid by the county’s insurance provider.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in December 2017, was brought by Scott Clews, Joseph Pothering, and Debra Detweiler, all of whom alleged in the complaint that they were not paid overtime when required and were fired in 2016 when they requested such payment as required by law.
The settlement agreement was filed for court approval on Oct. 23 and granted on Oct. 25 by U.S. District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson.
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