KWLM News
(Kandiyohi County, MN)
Kandiyohi County has reached a settlement with a former employee who was suing the county, claiming he was fired because he reported deficiencies in the county Emergency Management Department. Odis King was the former Director of Homeland Security for the county, and in his suit, King said when he reported outdated and insufficient equipment and potential wage violations in how rescue squad personnel were paid, he was told to keep quiet. He was fired in July of 2024 and filed suit in November of 2024, seeking damages of more than $50,000. A pretrial hearing for the lawsuit had been slated for Friday, but Kandiyohi County Attorney Shane Baker issued a statement, saying “Kandiyohi County has reached a settlement to resolve the lawsuit filed by Mr. King. The settlement is not an admission of liability or wrongdoing by the County, and the County continues to deny Mr. King’s allegations. The settlement was reached to avoid the cost, time and uncertainty of continued litigation, and will represent an overall savings to taxpayers in Kandiyohi County.” No information on how much the county has agreed to pay King has bee released at this point.
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