DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - The Iowa Association[1] of School Boards will pay $20,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by a lawyer and GOP activist who was fired after publicly praising Gov. Kim Reynolds[2].
Association[3] director Lisa Bartusek said Friday the deal includes $5,000 in wages for Anna Bergman[4] and $15,000 from its insurer for her attorneys’ fees and damages. In exchange, Bergman[5] dropped a lawsuit in which she claimed the termination violated her free speech rights.
Bergman[6] was the association[7]’s director of policy and legal services from October 2017 until her February firing. The Waukee resident has also been active in the Republican Party, and is currently running for a seat in the Iowa House.
In January, Bergman[8] wrote an opinion piece for the Des Moines Register that widely praised Reynolds[9]‘ record as governor, including on education funding. The column noted her association position.
Bartusek fired Bergman[10], saying the column wasn’t authorized by the association[11] and conflicted with its nonpartisan objectives.
Bergman[12] claimed she wrote the column as a private citizen.Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC. ...