Rick Dodge is fighting the county over his termination as assistant county administrator, but has dismissed a suit involving alleged fraud.
By SHANNON TAN
Published November 19, 2004
TAMPA - A former high-ranking Pinellas County official has dropped his federal lawsuit against a company that had a major county job training contract.
But Rick Dodge's fight over his termination as assistant county administrator in 2002 is not over. He still has a whistle-blower lawsuit against Pinellas County pending in state court.
In addition, the husband of Dodge's colleague Janet Gifford-Meyers, who committed suicide, has reached a settlement with the company.
Attorneys for both sides would not disclose details of the confidential settlement in Steven Meyers' case against ACS State and Local Solutions, formerly known as Lockheed Martin IMS Corp. The federal lawsuit had sought more than $75,000 in damages.
Attorneys for Dodge and ACS signed a separate stipulation dismissing that part of the case, which closed Nov. 1.
Meyers' settlement was reached at a mediation hearing after U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara denied ACS' motion for summary judgment.
In his order, Lazzara said only a jury could decide whether Dodge and the late Gifford-Meyers were emotionally distressed and whether ACS was liable for Gifford-Meyers' death.
"It was a long, hard-fought battle, and the parties amicably resolved the case," said Sean Cronin, attorney for Dodge and Meyers.
"I think that this settlement was the best thing for my family," said Meyers of Bradenton. "There's nothing that will undo what happened, but it's important at times to move on."
Dodge could not be reached for comment Thursday. An ACS attorney declined comment.
The federal suit, filed last year, contended that Dodge and Gifford-Meyers discovered potential fraud in the way Pinellas County's $15-million job training program was being run.
Originally, Lockheed Martin IMS Corp. had the contract but pulled out amid criticism in February 2001. ACS State and Local Solutions purchased the company later that year.
The lawsuit had accused the company of hiring community activist Theresa "Momma Tee" Lassiter to discredit the two, resulting in Dodge's dismissal and the suicide of Gifford-Meyers, who overdosed on barbiturates in 2001.
Lockheed won the welfare to work contract in 1999.
In 2000, Dodge and Gifford-Meyers, a senior project manager in his economic development department, investigated complaints from people who weren't getting the help they wanted from the Lockheed program, according to the lawsuit.
Lassiter said in a case deposition that she was hired that year as a "community liaison" making $10 an hour to recruit welfare recipients for the Lockheed program.
She resigned about a month later because of health reasons but said Lockheed promised her $15,000 to save the welfare to work contract.
Lassiter also continued as an independent contractor for Lockheed.
In 2000, Lockheed paid her nonprofit organization, Successes Unlimited, $18,065, including expenses such as phone bills.
"When you get someone representing themselves as an unpaid civic activist ... you take that; that comes with the territory," Dodge said in a deposition. "But when it's someone who's receiving money to do that ... that's a whole different picture."
Lassiter ordered copies of both their personnel files, according to pleadings and depositions in the federal case.
A Lockheed employee saw Lassiter in the Lockheed office copying inflammatory fliers assailing the character of Gifford-Meyers and Dodge.
Lassiter left a message on Gifford-Meyers' voice mail: "I am going to see how you squirm next week. ... After next week, I doubt you'll even be here; you'll probably be history 'cause I'm after your job."
Another witness said Lassiter called Gifford-Meyers and said, "I know where you live. And you have a little boy, don't you?"
Meyers gave his wife a bulletproof vest, and she asked to have a sheriff's deputy at public meetings she attended.
By November 2000, outraged that Lockheed had not paid her the $15,000, Lassiter effectively switched sides.
She told Gifford-Meyers that she had been "right" about Lockheed all along.
In a letter to Lockheed, Lassiter wrote that she bought into what she now thought were "lies from the pit of hell or deception for myself to be used as a mere prostitute by Lockheed Martin to fight the county and then lobby to help you secure your contract."
Lassiter said Dodge felt sorry for her and gave her $300.
The suit says Lassiter's harassment affected Gifford-Meyers, who had a history of mental illness, and she killed herself a few weeks after giving birth to her daughter.
Gifford-Meyers' chronic depression was "triggered and reactivated," resulting in her suicide, according to a forensic psychiatric evaluation requested by Meyers' attorney.
Meyers has a pending malpractice lawsuit in state court against Morton Plant Hospital over his wife's death.
* * *
Times researchers Caryn Baird and Kitty Bennett contributed to this report. Shannon Tan can be reached at 727 445-4174 or shtan@sptimes.com
