Bronson Agrees to Settle Lawsuit Brought By Clifford Armstrong III
According to a press release issued today by the Office of the Mayor, the Municipality of Anchorage, and Clifford Armstrong III, who served as Anchorage’s first Chief Equity Officer, an agreement to bring about an end to a lawsuit Armstrong filed against the city alleging he had been improperly fired from his position has been reached.
Armstrong’s lawsuit, filed last November, alleged that the municipality acted intentionally in a manner that a reasonable person would regard as unfair by purporting to terminate Armstrong without cause from the position of Chief Equity Officer of Anchorage in a manner contrary to the legal description of the position in (Anchorage Municipal Code) that he reasonably relied upon when he accepted the job.
At the time of his firing, the Anchorage NAACP demanded that the Bronson Administration reverse what it called the “illegal firing” of Armstrong III, alleging that his firing was an attempt by the Bronson administration to cover up a report on the city’s record on equal opportunity hiring in Anchorage. The report is said to have documented the city’s failure to comply with federal civil rights laws, a failure the Anchorage NAACP said put at risk federal funding used by the city.
On October 21, Assembly leadership sent a letter to the Bronson Administration informing them they did not recognize Armstrong’s dismissal. Today’s press release states that the case outcome resulted from good-faith negotiations between the parties.
“Unfortunately, I became entangled in a larger political and legal dispute related to the Chief Equity Officer position,” said Clifford Armstrong. “I am happy with this settlement as it removes me from that dispute. I wish the MOA and the new Chief Equity Officer good luck going forward.”
Anchorage’s elusive mayor said in a press release that he wished Mr. Armstrong all the best in his future endeavors. According to the Anchorage Daily News, the settlement amount was $125,000.
So much for fiscal conservatism.
