Two weeks following a no-fault settlement that included a $275-thousand-dollar payout, the former Executive Director of Oregon Coast Community Action says the agreement allows both to move forward. Kim Brick was abruptly terminated in September last year by action of the ORRCA Board. Brick says the termination came as a “punch to the gut” just three weeks after her first review as Executive Director. In that review, Brick was identified as “progressing towards expectations.” However, following the settlement, a spokesperson indicated the organization had struggled under Brick’s leadership. Brick said she was hired just days before the pandemic struck, saying “what organization didn’t struggle.”
Instead, Brick alleged the termination rose to retaliation. The allegations also included the organization did not follow transparency regulations by denying her request to be reviewed and defend herself in public. She also alleged the board did not have a quorum when voting to terminate. The ORCCA Board disagreed.
In agreeing to the settlement, the board says it allows the organization to focus on necessary operations rather than the cost and time to litigate. Though it is a no-fault agreement, Brick’s attorney says the allegations were strong enough to result in a sizable settlement. Brick, however, says she would have been satisfied with an apology that would likely never come. Brick, who had a 22-year career with ORcCA, says she had no intention of leaving the organization and the money will cover attorney fees, many hours of vacation time that were not included in the severance following her termination, lost wages as the breadwinner of the family, and emotional damage.
An attorney for ORCCA last week said the organization would have likely prevailed had the case gone to trial, but like Brick, believes the settlement will allow the organization to focus on its mission and the programs it operates. The settlement will be almost entirely paid through insurance.