Saginaw attorney Victor Mastromarco Jr., right, stands with his client Destinee Bryce in the hallway of the Saginaw County Governmental Center, Feb. 19, 2014, after Bryce agreed to settle her lawsuit against Saginaw County and Sheriff William Federspiel.SAGINAW, Mich. - A Michigan county has agreed to pay $215,000 to a part-time sheriff's deputy who says she was denied full-time work because she's a 4-foot-7 woman.
Saginaw County reached the settlement Feb. 19 toward the end of a civil trial. The Saginaw News reported Thursday that it obtained the amount of the settlement through a state Freedom of Information Act request.
Bryce was hired part time in 2010 and about a year later was considered for a full-time deputy's job. She says she was discriminated against based on her sex and height.
County Controller Robert Belleman says the county settled to avoid paying more money if it lost the case. He says it doesn't admit bias.
Bryce waives any claim to a job under the settlement.