Falls officer drops effort to seal $225k lawsuit deal. Here are the details of settlement
A former Falls police detective has withdrawn her attempt to keep a six-figure settlement she reached with the township secret from the public.
A Bucks County Common Pleas judge canceled an upcoming hearing on the sealing motion and unsealed the full settlement Tuesday for Catherine Coffman, who sued the department for sex discrimination in 2019.
Coffman, a 26-year Falls police veteran, left the department in January 2023, according to the settlement.
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The agreement, reached in August, shows that the township agreed to pay Coffman $225,000 to settle her claims and agreed to grant her a service-connected disability pension retroactive to her separation date. A service-connected disability pension has a higher monthly benefit.
Coffman received $64,781.38 to settle her claims for alleged emotional distress and all other alleged damages, and another $64,781.37 to settle claims for wage loss, according to the agreement. Her attorney received $95,437.25 in fees and costs, under the agreement.
The township’s liability insurance will cover the pay out, according to the agreement.
The settlement motion and agreement was unsealed one day after the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records sided with this news organization and ordered Falls Township to turn over a copy of the settlement.
Coffman’s attorney, Erica Domingo, did not provide a reason for withdrawing the motion.
The effort to keep the settlement secret is significant as it could have influenced the public’s ability to access any future agreements. Five other current and former Falls police officers have sued the township and its department in Bucks County Court over retaliation and discrimination claims.
Last December the township denied this news organization’s request for a copy of the settlement claiming that it did not possess a copy, or the ability to access it.
But supervisors need to authorize a settlement, which must take place at an advertised public meeting, under the state’s Sunshine Act. There is no mention in Falls supervisor meeting minutes and agendas last year showing the board voted on a settlement for Coffman.
According to the docket, Coffman's case was marked as settled and discontinued in August, 2023.
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This news organization obtained a copy of the motion to seal the settlement late last year. Public access to the document was temporarily restricted after this news organization published a story about the effort to keep the settlement secret.
This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Falls settlement with ex-cop released after motion to seal dropped
