Tarrant County settles disability discrimination lawsuit for $225,000
Tarrant County commissioners approved a $225,000 settlement for a disability discrimination lawsuit, closing out a court case that began in 2021.
The commissioners, at their regular Tuesday meeting, unanimously approved the settlement without discussion.
The lawsuit was filed by former county employee Torre Stella, who was fired from his part-time job as a micro-imaging scanner in the district clerk’s office in summer 2020. The firing came the same day that he gave his supervisor a doctor’s note and asked to be allowed to wear earbuds to listen to music during his shift, to help manage his ADHD, insomnia and other conditions, according to the lawsuit.
In other court filings, the county pushed back against these claims and said that Stella had a history of poor performance. His firing had been decided before he presented his supervisor with the doctor’s note, the county alleged.
Stella’s lawsuit initially sought more than $1 million from the county.
When the case went to trial, a jury ruled that the county had discriminated against Stella on the basis of his disability. The court in September ordered the county to pay Stella $300,000, including about $135,000 in attorney’s fees.
But after the ruling, the county filed a motion for a new trial.
The settlement approved by the commissioners will now close out the dispute.
In an emailed statement, Jamie Gilmore of the Dallas law firm Scott Gilmore Thompson said the firm was pleased that the commissioners approved the settlement.
“Mr. Stella and Scott Gilmore Thompson are happy to put this matter behind us, and Mr. Stella is eager to move forward with his life,” the statement said.
This story was originally published December 5, 2023 at 3:31 PM.
