Larry Sneed After four years of legal tumult, former Red Bank Police Chief Larry Sneed's lawsuit against the city will end with a $225,000 settlement.
"It's a mechanism for buying our peace," City Attorney Arnold Stulce said when he recommended the settlement at the City Commission's Tuesday meeting.
Commissioners unanimously voted in favor of the payout.
The proposal came after a Tennessee Supreme Court decision in December that would have sent Sneed's case to trial in Chancery Court, despite a city motion that sought to keep it from trial.
Sneed's jury trial was set for April 7. Had Red Bank lost, it would have received no help from its insurer and would likely have been responsible for additional attorney fees, Stulce said. Under this agreement, the city will be responsible for only $152,500. The rest will be paid by the Tennessee Municipal League Insurance Pool.
"It did become a pain for us, and we had a couple of meetings and we decided to go ahead with the settlement," Commissioner Ed LeCompte said.
Sneed's suit alleged, among other things, that he was fired by then-City Manager Chris Dorsey as a result of age discrimination and whistle-blower retribution.
It named the city, three commissioners and Dorsey, claiming the officials and Dorsey conspired to fire him and broke open meetings laws in the process.
At the time, the city was facing four other lawsuits from former police department employees who sought damages in excess of $15 million. Two suits, by former officers Bradley Hanon and Rebecca Chauncey Morgan, were settled in November 2012 for a combined cost of $57,000
Sneed's suit didn't seek a specified amount in damages, but any compensation would likely have included at least three years of his salary, which was about $60,000, and additional damages.
"This is a compromise by all sides, and we feel it's in his best interest to accept it and move on," Sneed's attorney, Lee Davis, said Wednesday.
The commission has seen complete turnover since Sneed's suit was filed. Former Mayor Monty Millard has died and former Vice Mayor Greg Jones now lives in Alaska.
"We've made great strides in the city over the past five years," Mayor John Roberts said after commissioners approved the settlement.
Contact staff writer Claire Wiseman at cwiseman@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6347. Follow her on Twitter @clairelwiseman.