A lawsuit brought against Sheriff Tony Guy by three former deputies will proceed forward, a federal judge ruled on Friday.
Former county sheriff’s deputies Paul Clark, Curtis Larrick, and John Fratangeli filed the litigation in October 2019, alleging Guy violated their settlement agreements from prior lawsuits brought against him in 2016. The original lawsuits alleged Guy fired them when first taking office that same year, and further disparaged them, as retaliation for openly supported Wayne Kress, Guy’s Democratic opponent.
Guy denied the allegations, asserting he had good reason to dismiss the deputies.
The county settled the lawsuits brought by Clark and Fratangeli in May 2017, for what sources in county government said was a combined sum of between $20,000 and $25,000. It settled the lawsuit brought by Larrick in August 2018 for what sources said was $85,000.
Guy admitted to no wrongdoing as part of the settlement agreements, which contained provisions that the deputies would face no further attacks against their character.
