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Washington County Reaches $63K Settlement With Former Employee

WASHINGTON COUNTY (KFSM) — Washington County reached a settlement deal in the sum of $63,000 with a former employee who filed a lawsuit against the county...
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WASHINGTON COUNTY (KFSM) — Washington County reached a settlement deal in the sum of $63,000 with a former employee who filed a lawsuit against the county claiming she was fired for helping another employee who openly supported the county judge’s opponent in the 2014 November election.

Mandy Przysczpkowski filed the federal lawsuit in February 2015 claiming County Judge Marilyn Edwards was among those who violated her First Amendment to freedom of speech and other rights after Przysczpkowski continued helping Jonathan Jarboe, a computer administrator in the Circuit Clerk’s office, with his county-issued purchasing card, or P-Card.

The suit stated Edwards threatened to fire Przysczpkowski for helping Jarboe after being told not to help him. Przysczpkowski was fired several months after the threat, according to the lawsuit.

Przysczpkowski’s primary responsibilities with the county included training and directing county workers and officials in the “proper use and reporting of P-Card expenses,” the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuits stated Edwards and her then-chief of staff, Dan Short, “were infuriated and took personal offense” at Jarboe’s “open support” of Edwards’ opponent in the November general election.

Edwards, a Democrat, won re-election in November 2014, defeating Jeff Williams, a Republican, who was the county assessor at the time.

According to the lawsuit, Edwards in June told Przysczpkowski, with the chief of staff present, that Jarboe “is the enemy” and was on the “opposing team.”

The lawsuit claimed Przysczpkowski also supported Williams’ campaign and that she refused to “quell her right to associate with the political party of her choosing.”

After the June meeting, Przysczpkowski was given a poor annual employee evaluation. Only weeks after the November election, she was “falsely accused” of taking a county issued cellphone and was fired, the lawsuit states.

Przysczpkowski was seeking to be compensated for lost wages and benefits, punitive damages and more.

Edwards will be stepping down as county judge in 2017 after running as a Democrat for Justice of the Peace District 9 in the March 1 primary election against incumbent JP Eva Madison. Madison won with 53% of the vote to Edwards 47%.

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