KSNF/KODE is reporting the City of Carthage is paying $150,000 to former Parks Director Abi Almandinger to settle the wrongful termination lawsuit she filed in December in Jasper County Circuit Court.
In her lawsuit, Almandinger alleged she was dismissed after she voiced support for former City Administrator Greg Dagnan and after she uncovered corruption in her department.
Almandinger said her employers created a hostile work environment.(Note: The story has been changed to reflect the settlement amount was $150,000, not $250,000. I regret the error.)
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Now we hope the citizens of Carthage can be united.
Being named in one lawsuit and likely in another, she can probably use the cash.
She’s an absolute train wreck. I believe she is an awful person who will always be remembered for lying to everyone all the time, a better than you an attitude, and ultimately a humiliating termination. She will have to answer for a lot to include her role in manufactured criminal charges against a former city employee along with what has already been determined as wrongful termination against another city employee. She is a clown and deserves all she has coming to her.
Missouri Southern Foundation will have a lot to decide in the coming year. It’s already on shaky ground with many alumni for her hire.
Hopefully she puts it in a savings account so she can pay for the lawsuit for Mr. Borland and for Mark Peterson when he’s able to pursue a lawsuit against her.
This is right and good. Good for Abi Almandinger.
Most likely City of Carthage will be paying out another settlement in the Borland case. But, the charges against Abi Almandinger will very likely be dismissed. They don’t have defamation and the Borland case has also not reached the criteria for suppression of Free Speech. Being named by an angry former obstinate subordinate in a law suit in no way establishes guilt. Abi Almandinger rightfully acted on authoritative information given to her during an investigation when funds were seen to be missing and good and safe financial protocols were found not to have been implemented in the years prior to her being hired. She had a moral and fiduciary responsibility to report the issues and try to help find the missing money for the citizens of Carthage. It’s becoming more and more clear, someone who handles city accounts, deposits, and banking caused major chaos with sloppy work. Likely boiling down to one city employee. But how many people paid for that when all the hysteria and finger pointing began in multiple directions? Look how many lost reputations, jobs, and public seats wrongfully or no longer even wanted their positions in the toxic environment that developed. Citizens became absolutely vicious, especially CCU backed City Council members. One of which was very rightfully recalled from office by the citizens, becoming the first and only recalled public servant in the City’s history. Others saw the light and resigned. Little by little Carthage is returning to a quiet and calm city management under a very good new mayor. Which is not to say the former mayor deserved to be impeached by the angry and misguided CCU devotees. He, too, was/is a very good man. It was a sad set of years. People were hurt on all sides of this. Anywhere a slice of justice is served in the aftermath is a step toward healing. Abi Almandinger faced unfair animosity from day one on the job and pure hatred, wrongfully, from employees, false accusers, and from several City Council members. Serious wrongs were dished out to good servants who were falsely portrayed and smeared during the election campaigns of the CCU backed members. Good people were tarnished by them. Turn about is fair play, and all but one of the vengeful CCU backed Council members are no longer in office. Which is proving to be a good thing for the City of Carthage. It’s pitiful to add up the hundreds of thousands of dollars that were spent in the ridiculous legal aftermath and the frivolous impeachment. All of which was founded upon toxic hatred of one another.
You slipped up here Randy. The settlement was $150,000 and was requested by the City’s insurance carrier with no admission of liability or wrongdoing on the part in the city. The City website says the Council agreed in order to put this episode behind them.
Carthage must breed stupid people. Could it be all the lead and zinc in the water, dirt, and chat that has caused brain damage? Please Check, wasn't it $150,000 not a $250,000 settlement?
Abi doesn’t need the money. It’s a matter of principle. Former council members - the ones that LOST their seats after their two-year horrendous behavior, including an unethical and illegal impeaching of Mayor Dan Rife - wanted her out from the get-go.
I always thought it very strange that the MSSU alumni director would be suing the City of Carthage, where MSSU has several hundred alums. You want your alumni director to be building relationships, not out there filing lawsuits.
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