Pocono News Section

Lakeland 4 Reach Out-of-Court Deal With District

Lakeland 4 Reach Out-of-Court Deal With District - Tuesday, April 20, 2010 at 04:05AM EST

Reported by: Joe Holden
Tuesday April 20 2010
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY- Four Lakeland custodial workers targeted and summarily terminated for union activity reached an "amicable" settlement with the district Tuesday morning, according to a plaintiff in the federal case.

Phone calls to attorneys representing both sides were not returned.

John Larkin, one of four dismissed custodians, confirmed the agreement Tuesday evening.

Larkin said he could not provide details of the settlement, referring us to his attorney. Larkin said the deal must still be approved by the school board at a meeting in May.

Calls to Board President John Brennan were not returned.

The group, known as the Lakeland Four, fought to bring attention to their 2007 dismissal. The four workers had been union officers. From the onset, they claimed their terminations were unexpected and the result of union activity. Months laters, a labor ruled they were unfairly terminated. The four were returned to their positions in the district.

Superintendent Dr. Margaret Billings-Jones was directly named in the federal lawsuit. Larkin was unaware Tuesday night if the district admitted wrongdoing through the settlement. Eyewitness News was unable to reach Billings-Jones.

The district initially called the terminations an economic move.