PORT ANGELES — Mediation negotiators are attempting today to resolve a racial and sexual discrimination complaint filed by an African-American woman against Clallam County that has yet to be settled.
The meeting at 9 a.m. in the federal building in Seattle is between legal and governmental representatives for the county and Dale Holiday, grant coordinator for the county’s Health & Human Services Department.
“We’ve authorized a settlement if a settlement is possible, but we haven’t agreed to settle,” county commissioners’ Vice Chairman Jim McEntire said Wednesday of action taken by the board Tuesday.
“It’s always good business to try to seek an amicable settlement at the lowest level possible, and if that’s not possible, we’ll just see where we go,” he added.
Holiday filed a discrimination complaint with the state Human Rights Commission and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission earlier this year.
She said that because of her race, gender and “protests of race discrimination,” she received low job-performance evaluations, received a warning letter, had to make a weekly task list unlike other employees who had monthly task lists and could not attend a summer institute, according to her complaint.
The mediation session will occur at the EEOC’s Seattle office.
Any agreement that is reached “has the force of law,” Rudy Hurtado, agency spokesman and program analyst, said Wednesday.
“That essentially settles the matter,” he said.
If no settlement is reached, the EEOC would investigate the matter further. If the agency then determined that a violation had occurred, the case would be referred to the U.S. Department of Justice for possible further action, Hurtado said.
If the EEOC determined that no violation had occurred, Holiday would be notified that she could pursue the matter on her own in federal court, Hurtado said.
Commissioners Tuesday unanimously established an undisclosed cap for any monetary settlement that the county might reach with Holiday.
Establishment of a cap “is a routine matter when you enter discussions over a settlement,” McEntire said.
“It’s just what you always do.”
Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5060, or at paul.gottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
