TACOMA — The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula and two women have agreed to drop a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the women in federal district court against the organization, club board President Jerry Sinn said.
Former club employees Lindsey A. Richardson and Jessica L. Borries alleged in a Dec. 7 lawsuit that the organization’s Sequim unit had sexually discriminated against them in how it dealt witha allegations against former club volunteer and board member Stephen Rosales.
A jury trial had been set for 2013.
“Both parties, . . . filed a joint request to dismiss the case,” Sinn said.
Sinn would not comment on whether a monetary settlement had been reached.
“This action is dismissed with prejudice, with all parties to bear their own costs and attorneys fees,” said a stipulation filed by lawyers for the club and the two women April 11 in U.S. District Court in Tacoma.
A case dismissed with prejudice cannot be filed again.
Rosales, interim director of the Sequim Food Bank, said Monday he did not feel vindicated and was upset that neither he nor a supporting witness had been deposed.
Rosales said he voluntarily resigned from the Boys & Girls Clubs’ board, that he had wanted to defend himself against the allegations and that the organization should have supported him more.
“I kept quiet in support of the club and feel the club didn’t support me,” he said.
Sinn would not comment on Rosales’ accusation against the club.
Richardson and Borries — neither of whom is now employed by the club — had said Rosales had made inappropriate sexual comments to them and that the club had “failed to take appropriate remedial action” regarding those comments.
“I am telling you from my heart, I did nothing wrong,” Rosales said.
“This has been really hard on me emotionally and physically.
“Our legal system is screwed up where any guy can be accused of this, and they settle.”
Lawyers Michael Griffin of Jackson Lewis LLP in Seattle, representing the Boys & Girls Clubs of the North Olympic Peninsula, did not return calls for comment about the case.
Lawyer Terry Venneberg of Gig Harbor, representing Richardson and Borries, also refused comment.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
