Police Officers Win Lawsuit Against C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center

VA settles suit by its police officers at Young VA for nearly $1 million
Tampa Bay Times
William R. Levesque
Times Staff Writer
Monday, October 27, 2014

The Department of Veterans Affairs has formally settled a federal lawsuit filed by eight agency police officers who worked at the C.W. Bill Young VA Medical Center for $960,000, according to court documents filed Monday.

With recent settlements to three other VA police officers at the Pinellas facility, the total payout by the VA is $1.3 million.

Such settlements are usually confidential, and the public rarely sees confirmation of cash paid out. But in a highly unusual move, the officers' attorney, Ward Meythaler, and the VA asked a federal judge in Tampa to enforce the terms of the settlement. The court file does not show why they made the request.

As a result, U.S. District Court Judge Mary Scriven ordered the settlement to be filed and made part of the public record.

Meythaler and a VA spokesman declined to comment. In the settlement, the VA acknowledged no wrongdoing.

A trial would have offered a potentially embarrassing glimpse into the Young VA's small police force and its operations. Police leadership and officers have long been at odds over allegations that include sexual harassment, racial discrimination, physical altercations among officers and even disputes concerning policing strategies.
read more here