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Lawsuit settlements cost Trumbull Co. $116,203
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
So far, David DeChristofaro, Trumbull County engineer, has agreed to pay out $490,000 to settle lawsuits filed by two relatives of his predecessor.
These relatives of the former county engineer were laid off on DeChristofaro’s first day in office.
Of that $490,000, the county has been charged $116,203, and the county’s insurance, the Ohio Consortium of Risk Sharing Authority, has paid the other $273,797.
Jim Keating, the county’s human-resources director, says it’s likely that the county’s insurance rate will rise in May, when the premium comes due again, as a result of the payouts.
“Certainly, large claims have a negative effect on premiums,” Keating said.
The county’s annual premium last April was $561,732 — the bill for the county’s property, liability and fleet insurance.
Matt Dohy, hired by his father-in-law, former county engineer John Latell, as a surveyor in 2005, settled with DeChristofaro for $315,000.
Amanda Latell, daughter-in-law of the former engineer, settled for $175,000. John Latell hired her as a secretary in 2005.
On his first day in office, Jan. 5, 2009, DeChristofaro laid off Dohy, Latell and another employee, Nicole Klingeman.
Klingeman also filed suit in federal court, but her case is pending. All of the suits claim wrongful termination and violation of constitutional rights.
DeChristofaro has said he laid off the workers because of lack of work and lack of funds, but his former attorney, Chuck Richards of Howland, filed a notice in August with the Ohio Personnel Board of Review saying DeChristofaro’s contention that Klingeman was let go because of lack of work or funds was “inapplicable.”
The filing also recommended that Klingeman get her job back and receive back pay dating to Jan. 5, 2009.
Among the amounts paid to Dohy of Girard in his settlement in November was $66,203 in back pay that was charged to the county engineer’s office, said Adrian Biviano, county auditor.
Because that amount was back pay, it was subject to a variety of payroll deductions handled by the auditor’s office.
Dohy received a check on Nov. 19 for $35,637. Subtracted from his $66,203 were $20,337 for federal taxes, $3,870 for state taxes, $1,377 for Warren income tax, $998 for Medicare and $9,268 for his state retirement.