Luzerne County’s administration is recommending the county council approve a $378,428.37 settlement to close out unlawful termination litigation initiated by former county veterans affairs director Richard Wren.
A jury awarded Wren $200,000 in May in his civil rights case against the county and two former commissioners.
As the prevailing party in the litigation, Wren’s legal counsel, Borland and Borland LLP, sought payment of $230,898 in fees and expenses, the administration said.
According to county Chief Solicitor Romilda Crocamo, the proposed settlement would cover the $200,000 to Wren, provide approximately $3,000 more to Wren for up-front litigation expenses and reduce the legal counsel payment to approximately $175,000.
Wren and his counsel have agreed to accept the settlement amount, the administration said.
If the council rejects the settlement, litigation over attorney fees and expenses will continue and may result in the county paying more, the administration warned.
The council is scheduled to discuss the matter at Tuesday’s work session and possibly vote at its next meeting later this month.
The jury in U.S. District Court concluded Wren proved his affiliation with former county commissioner Greg Skrepenak was a substantial or motivating factor in the decision by then Commissioners Maryanne Petrilla and Stephen A. Urban to fire him.
The jury also indicated that the defendants did not prove that Wren would have been fired because he ordered the alteration of a reimbursement receipt, regardless of his political affiliation with Skrepenak.
Wren, 57, maintained he was terminated because he was a “political affiliate” of Skrepenak, and Petrilla and Urban were Skrepenak’s “political adversaries.”
Petrilla and Urban said their decision to terminate was recommended by the county manager and solicitor in 2009 because Wren admitted to altering a receipt he submitted for reimbursement.
According to court documents, Wren said he altered the receipt to show the date and expense because there was no doubt the $70 requested by the Disabled Veterans of America was accurate reimbursement for meals following the organization’s placement of flags at area cemeteries in 2009. He said the organization was unable to obtain replacement receipts as requested by Wren, and the county’s payment request form did not require the production of a receipt.
