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Madison County settles harassment suit against ex-sheriff

Posted January 21, 2015 10:00 pm

The Associated Press

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) - The governing board of southwestern Illinois' Madison County has agreed to pay $42,500 to resolve a federal sexual harassment lawsuit against a former sheriff.

The (Alton) Telegraph (http://bit.ly/1CU5PAO ) reports that the county board on Wednesday signed off on the settlement with county employee Jaimie Linton.

Linton alleged that Bob Hertz was sheriff when he tried to develop a romantic relationship with her and became angry and jealous when she rebuffed him.

As an assistant state's attorney in the county, John Gilbert calls the settlement "the appropriate, fiscally responsible action" compared to the potentially higher cost of a trial. The 2013 lawsuit sought $4 million in damages.

The county admits no wrongdoing as part of the deal.

Hertz on Thursday declined to comment on the case.

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Information from: The Telegraph, http://www.thetelegraph.com

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