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Lane County agrees to $250,000 settlement with its former lawyer

The Lane County Courthouse as seen in July, 2024.
Rebecca Hansen-White
/
KLCC
The Lane County Courthouse as seen in July, 2024.

Lane County Commissioners have approved a $250,000 settlement to their former lawyer.

The settlement–aimed at avoiding a potential lawsuit–resolved “employment related concerns” raised by County Counsel Erin Pettigrew while she worked for the county.

Pettigrew left in June after about a year and a half on the job. She led the office of County Counsel, which legally advises the commissioners and handles litigation and other legal issues on the county’s behalf.

She now works for the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries.

According to the settlement, which KLCC obtained through a public records request, $170,000 of the approved $250,000 payment was for non-economic damages. The rest covered lost wages and attorney fees.

Pettigrew agreed to not sue the county and neither party admitted fault.

When Pettigrew’s planned departure became public in April, all five county commissioners thanked her for her service, praising her efforts to organize the office and recruit a strong legal team.

“I am saddened to see her go, but absolutely wish her well in future ventures,” East Lane Commissioner Heather Buch said during a commissioners meeting in April.

In an email, county spokesperson Devon Ashbridge said the county does not typically comment on legal matters.

Pettigrew’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment.

KLCC requested a copy of the investigation into Pettigrew’s complaint - but the county denied the request, arguing it was exempt from Oregon’s Public Records law.

Rebecca Hansen-White joined the KLCC News Department in November, 2023. Her journalism career has included stops at Spokane Public Radio, The Spokesman-Review, and The Columbia Basin Herald.