CAVE SPRINGS (KFSM) -- The Cave Springs City council voted down a settlement offer from a lawsuit brought against the city, during a special council meeting Monday (Mar. 26).
Two former employees, Nathan Coy and Jaci Hawkins, filed the lawsuit in March 2017, citing retaliation and discrimination from those council members and Kim Hutcheson, city treasurer and recorder.
The offer presented to the council during Monday's special meeting totaled $150,000, to be split between both defendants equally.
In a swift unanimous rejection to the offer, the five aldermen named in the suit voted against the offer. Ward 2, position one alderman, Joan White, also voted against the settlement offer, but was not named in the suit.
According to the suit, the defendants openly opposed and attacked Coy and Hawkins because they were aligned with Cave Springs Mayor Travis Lee. He, the council and Hutcheson have butted heads over several city matters for years.
Coy and Hawkins have claimed those connections with Lee resulted in wages being withheld or slowly paid out. The suit also includes allegations Hutcheson wanted to fire Coy, a former police officer, because he is Hispanic.
Hutcheson, nor any council member commented on the lawsuit.
Coy's father, Fred Coy, attended Monday's meeting.
"I feel that they've done him wrong, so I'm here to watch out for my son," Fred Coy said.
In addition to voting down the offer, the council also voted against providing a counter-offer or negotiating a settlement.
"They chose not to [accept the offer] thinking that they have the upper hand, and I'm hopeful that they're wrong," Coy said.
The trial has been scheduled to commence September 17 in United States District Court in Fayetteville. Judge Timothy Brooks rejected a motion to continue the trial date earlier this month.