DUANE SHERRILLEditor

The federal lawsuit filed by former city HR Director Casta Brice against the city of Tullahoma has been permanently dismissed after a settlement was reached in the case.

The terms of the settlement and as to how much compensation was made to the plaintiff, who was suing for up to $5 million, has not been revealed as the court in its official statement only noted that the claims had been “compromised and resolved” when judge dismissed the case with prejudice. It is not unusual for the amounts of such settlements to be kept secret by agreement.

While confirming she could not divulge the specifics of the agreement that settled the case, Brice did have some words concerning the issue, noting she felt betrayed by the city government with which she worked for many years.

“Over the past two years, my life was consumed with false allegations. With court taking an additional two years, the City settled with me and I was able to avoid more painful litigation,” she told The News. “In the end, no investigation or hearing was ever held about the accusations against me or about removing me as HR Director. Much was made about document “shredding” because it sounds bad. But the much less sensational truth is that document disposal procedures do require removal after so many years. It is standard practice followed by other city departments, and in this case, the old documents had nothing to do with current issues.”

She said the betrayal continued after her position was eliminated by the city.

“After the termination, a final act of betrayal was denying my retiree health insurance, a violation of the city’s ‘reduction in force’ policy,” she said. “Despite claiming an elimination of my position, which provides me with continued health insurance, the City refused it. City officials have chosen not to correct this.”

She wished to thank those who stood behind her and stood up for her when times were tough.

“With the lawsuit now settled, my primary message to the community is one of gratitude,” she said. “I deeply appreciate those who spoke up on my behalf, at board meetings and in private, and those in the community who offered support, kind words, and comfort during this very stressful time. I’m ready to close this chapter, seek peace, and embrace new opportunities. Above all, I hope this serves as a reminder that everyone deserves dignity and respect, and that fair-minded people must come together to resolve even the most difficult challenges.”

Background of the lawsuit 

The settlement came in Brice’s 26-page lawsuit with a timeline starting in 2020, Brice’s lawyer, Justin Gilbert, claimed Brice was subject to retaliation from Alderman Kurt Glick during his time as Director of the Tullahoma Parks and Recreation department, and following an investigation into his practices as director by law firm Wimberly, Lawson, Wright, Daves and Jones, PLLC. The timeline ended with her being placed on administrative leave in February 2023 after being human resources director for 26 years.

In her suit, Brice maintained the issues with she and Glick began in 2020 when she restricted him from including a “drinking buddy” from being considered for a full-time position while Glick was still Parks and Rec director for the city of Tullahoma.

“Glick became angry, arguing that his drinking buddy was excluded because he was an older white male,” the suit maintains. “In truth, the drinking buddy was excluded because he was obviously underqualified.”

The suit maintains that Glick was retaliatory and that his alleged cronyism put the city of Tullahoma at financial risk. It also maintains he employed no persons of color which caused a concern within city administration. Brice pointed out she is multi-racial as her mother is from the Dominican Republic and father from the Isle of St. Maaren.

The suit said an investigation was conducted by an outside law firm into the allegations of cronyism and retaliation at parks and rec. “He was enraged as result,” the suit said of Glick.

Brice’s suit goes on to point out that after leaving his position, Glick filed a lawsuit against the City for age discrimination – a suit that is still waiting to be heard in federal court.

Brice maintains that when Glick was elected to the aldermanic board that he “made it his mission to get even with Ms. Brice”.

“Aided by a hopelessly dysfunctional majority, the Board suspended her without investigation and then terminated her employment,” the suit maintained.

Following her administrative leave, the suit detailed how Brice stayed on leave until City Administrator Jason Quick issued a letter to her on Sept. 29 of 2023, stating that the position of Human Resources Director would be eliminated, effectively ending her employment with the city.

“After seven and a half months of suspension with no Board investigation and no finding of any criminal wrongdoing by the District Attorney, the City had retaliated by creating a pretextual “job elimination that cost Ms. Brice her livelihood,” the suit claims.

According to the lawsuit, the request for relief from the city included “that proper process issue along with a copy of this complaint requiring Defendant to appear and answer; a declaration that Defendant has violated federal or state laws, for the reasons outlined [in the lawsuit]’ injunctive or equitable relief to preclude post-termination retaliation; monetary damages up to $5 million [for] lost income including lost wages, loss of health insurance, loss of pension or retirement benefits and any other emoluments of employment and extreme damage to her reputation.”

This story was written with background material earlier published by Anna Coburn.