County to pay Zimmerman $500,000
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Settlement ends civil rights claims; criminal case remains
Ringgold County will pay $500,000 to settle a civil rights lawsuit former Ringgold Country Conservation Director Kate Zimmerman brought against the county in federal court.
The settlement was approved by the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors at their meeting on September 9.
Supervisors Steve Knapp and Randy Taylor voted in favor of the settlement while supervisor Colby Holmes, who was singled out in the lawsuit for what Zimmerman called acting “in a pattern of gender discrimination, sexual discrimination, age discrimination, retaliation, harassment, sexual harassment, slander and defamation” voted against it.
Zimmerman claims Holmes fabricated and disseminated false information pertaining to her work ethic, character, competence and practice. She also alleges Holmes attempted to persuade Conservation Board Members Randy Bishop, Dale Walkup and Doug Frost to discipline or remove her from her position.
The suit was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa Central Division.
Named as defendants in the action were Supervisors Ron Landphair, Colby Holmes, Steve Knapp and Randy Taylor; law enforcement officers Nathan Nickle and Marc Ridout; and Amanda Waske, Ringgold County Auditor.
The seven count lawsuit alleged:
• Count I of the action, Zimmerman alleges a violation of Iowa Code 216.6, Discrimination on the Basis of Sex, Age and Retaliation. County I is leveled against all the named defendants.
• Count II names all defendants of an alleged violation of Iowa Code 216.A, Equal Pay Discrimination.
• Count III against all defendants alleges violation of Iowa Code Section 216.11, Retaliation.
• Count IV alleges Sex Discrimination and Retaliation in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
• Count V alleges defamation against all the defendants.
• In Count VI, Zimmerman alleges malicious prosecution against Ridout, Nickle and Taylor and County
• Count VII accuses Ridout, Nickle, Holmes and Taylor of Abuse of Process against her.
As part of the settlement, the county continues to deny the allegations on which Zimmerman based her claims. The settlement releases all claims Zimmerman had made against the county, its officials and employees.
The state criminal trial involving the county and Zimmerman will continue in Adair County, where the case was transferred in April of 2023.
Those charges stem from a December 5, 2022, incident at Poe Hollow Park when Zimmerman denied Ringgold County deputies and bomb technicians entrance to the facility to render safe an explosive device found earlier that morning.
According to court filings, during the ensuing dispute, Zimmerman alleges that Holmes arrived, shouted at her and then struck her with his vehicle, injuring her leg. Zimmerman reported Holmes to police and was then charged with interference and false report, which led to additional claims in her lawsuit for false arrest. Her criminal case, now transferred to Adair County, remains pending.
Zimmerman alleges the defendants did this in retaliation for her earlier complaints of sex-based harassment and not to punish offenders who have legitimately committed such acts.
Zimmerman claims that Holmes provided false information to law enforcement which resulted in her being charged with interference with official acts and making a false report to a public entity.
Zimmerman began her duties in 2010 with the county and the conservation board, one of only 10 female conservation directors in the state of Iowa. Her duties were overseen by the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors.
Zimmerman was represented by attorney Roxanne Conlin & Associates from Des Moines.
According to court records, the law firm will receive $200,000 of the settlement.
An email from Ringgold county after the settlement read, “The county does not admit to any of the substantive allegations in the petition or any wrongdoing in this matter.”
