Ex-firefighter settles suit against S.C. city

ROCK HILL, S.C. (AP) -- Former Rock Hill firefighter Matt Cooper has settled his lawsuit against the city that fired him for marrying the daughter of a captain in the department.
The city of Rock Hill announced Wednesday that a $5,000 check had been delivered to Cooper's attorneys in exchange for Cooper agreeing not to make any more claims against the city.
In a news release, the city said Cooper, a native of Findlay, Ohio, agreed that "any settlement is not to be construed as an admission of any liability or wrongdoing on the part of the city."
Cooper, 25, made headlines this summer when he was fired for marrying 21-year-old Brooke Lowery, the daughter of Capt. Herbie Lowery. Cooper's termination stemmed from his violation of a city rule that forbids relatives, including in-laws, from working in the same department. The purpose of the rule is to prevent favoritism, city officials say.
Cooper sued, claiming that the anti-nepotism did not apply to in-laws and that other city employees worked in the same department as relatives.
Cooper's job ended July 26 when a judge denied his request to keep working while his lawsuit against the city went forward. He has since taken a firefighting job in Findlay.