Breaking: Jane Doe Lawsuit Settled

The Jane Doe lawsuit centered around the alleged sexual harassment by former Schuylkill County Commissioner George Halcovage has been settled just days before a trial was set to begin.

Schuylkill County Commissioners Chairman Larry Padora announced that a settlement has been reached with the three remaining Jane Doe plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

In a prepared statement, Padora said Wednesday:

“On behalf of the Board of Commissioners, I want to bring a matter of significance to your attention.

“On March 11, the Federal Court in the Doe litigation against Schuylkill County conducted a pre-trial conference which included mediation before a Federal Judge. As a result of the mediation, the parties reached a settlement of all claims of the remaining Doe Plaintiffs against the County and all County Defendants. Yesterday, Judge Bloom, the sitting Judge in the Doe litigation, entered an Order administratively closing the case and directing the parties to file a stipulation of dismissal within 60 days.

“The attorneys for the parties are actively finalizing documentation of the settlement which is expected to be concluded soon. When that documentation has been completed and signed by the Plaintiffs, appropriate action will be taken by the Board during a public meeting and will include details of the settlement. For now, we are simply informing the public that the case has been settled and we will forego further comment until the settlement documentation is brought before the Board for final approval.”

Those Jane Doe plaintiffs alleged they were subjected to years of sexual harassment by Halcovage and retaliation by other county employees for speaking out against the alleged behavior.

The County announced last year that they reached a $1.7 million settlement with the woman called Jane Doe 1. She alleged and it was confirmed in sworn depositions there was a sexual relationship between she and Halcovage.

Padora said the county will announce terms of the settlement in the near future.

DEVELOPING STORY: This article was posted during Wednesday’s Schuylkill County Commissioners meeting, where the settlement was announced. More details later today.

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