HARTFORD, Conn — The State of Connecticut and the former commissioner for the Department of Health have reached a settlement in her lawsuit filed after her termination.
Renee Coleman-Mitchell was ousted on May 12, 2020. She said in her a federal court filing that she was never provided severance pay or consideration for another position as promised by Gov. Ned Lamont, a Democrat. She said at the time she has been unable to find another job because of the damage done to her reputation.
Coleman-Mitchell first joined the Department of Public Health in 1986, serving in several roles until 1994, and returned to the agency in the spring of 2019 to serve as commissioner, Lamont's office said in a release.
In the lawsuit, which was filed in May 2022, Coleman-Mitchell said she had raised concerns about infections in nursing homes during the first week of March 2020 but her warnings were met with opposition by Lamont and his administration.
By firing her, she said, Lamont insinuated she failed in the response to the pandemic while "the thousands of elderly nursing home illnesses and deaths that needlessly occurred as a result of Governor Lamont’s failure to act in a timely manner.”
The parties agreed to a payment to Coleman Mitchell of $160,000 “compensatory damages for emotional distress, personal physical injuries, and physical sickness” in connection with her dismissal." Another $40,000 is for legal fees. Her status in the state's employment tracking system will be listed as “resigned in good standing” 30 days after settlement.
The agreement also stipulates the state will pay $1,249 to the Connecticut Department of Labor to resolve an unemployment compensation benefits overpayment Coleman-Mitchell had received in May 2020 that she was not eligible for under state law. Additionally, Coleman-Mitchell agreed not to pursue further litigation in the matter or apply for employment in the future with the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
The agreement also said, "It is expressly agreed and understood that this Agreement is not an admission of any kind by DPH, the State of Connecticut, or any other agency or present or former officer, agent, servant or employee of DPH and/or the State of Connecticut, of any liability or wrongdoing whatsoever."
The parties also agreed that "If asked for comment by the press or public, the party or their agents, shall respond 'we have reached an agreement and have no further comment' or 'no comment.' The Plaintiff further agrees that she will not solicit public discussion of this matter on her behalf."
Doug Stewart is a Senior Digital Content Producer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dstewart@fox61.com.
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