Port Authority settles harassement complaint against Dickten

VIENNA

The Western Reserve Port Authority has approved a $40,000 settlement with a former port authority administrative assistant who complained of being sexually harassed and otherwise mistreated by the port authority’s aviation director, Dan Dickten.

On or about Oct. 5, 2015, Lauren Iaderosa “initiated a claim of sexual harassment, discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, slander and other allegations,” a port authority document obtained by the Vindicator says.

The port authority fired Iaderosa Sept. 28, 2015. The authority runs the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport and its economic-development arm, the Northeast Ohio Development and Finance Authority, or NEODFA.

The port authority’d chairman, Ron Klingle, signed a settlement contract June 28 that directed its insurance carrier, Cincinnati Insurance Co., to pay Iaderosa $40,000 in exchange for her to forever release all claims against Dickten and the port authority, the contract says.

The port authority board approved the settlement and payment of $1,000 as the port authority’s deductible on the claim at its the end of a 3 1/4-hour board meeting May 18.

Read more about the matter in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.