EAST ST. LOUIS – Kristen Poshard, who claims Madison County fired her for resisting harassment by former county board member Phil Chapman, will try to settle with Chapman and the county next month.
On Feb. 9, at the request of all parties, U.S. Magistrate Judge Gilbert Sison set a settlement conference March 25.
He directed the parties to deliver their positions under seal by March 18.
The county hired Poshard as chief deputy administrator for community development in 2016, at a salary of $92,000.
The county board terminated her in October 2017.
She sued the county, Chapman, county board chairman Kurt Prenzler, and former county administrator Doug Hulme in 2019.
Her counsel Ferne Wolf of Maryville, Mo. alleges Chapman requested a confidential meeting outside the county’s offices in May 2017.
The suit alleges Poshard believed the meeting would relate to county business and agreed to meet at Cracker Barrel in Troy on May 24.
She further alleges that when Poshard arrived, Chapman hugged her. She claims he said he became excited and tingly.
She claims he stuck a note on the table asking what kind of underwear he wore.
She claims she refused to answer and Chapman said he wore a black thong. She claims she got up and left.
The suit goes on to allege that on May 31, 2017, Hulme told her she would be paired with Chapman at a golf tournament for local officials.
“Plaintiff said she did not want to be paired with Chapman, that he had made inappropriate sexual advances toward her,” Wolf wrote in the suit.
She claims Hulme told her to take one for the team.
“Plaintiff said it felt disgusting that he was whoring her out to play with Chapman,” the suit says.
Poshard notified Prenzler and Chapman that she wouldn’t attend, then Chapman allegedly contacted Poshard on that date to say he scheduled a meeting in Chicago on the same weekend she would be there.
“While plaintiff tried to avoid Chapman, he repeatedly appeared at her office and he continued to call, email, or text her,” the suit says.
On June 7, 2017, Poshard allegedly showed Chapman’s text messages and email to Prenzler, who apologized.
On June 8, Prenzler allegedly told Poshard that Chapman admitted he had taken things too far.
On June 10, Poshard, Prenzler, and Hulme allegedly agreed to ban Chapman from county buildings.
“Prenzler said to expect retaliation because Chapman was the most vindictive person in the county,” the suit says.
“As of June 11, it appeared that Chapman might resign from the county board and would no longer be around plaintiff’s work place.
“Within a short time, however, he changed his mind.”
The county later placed Poshard on leave and took her off its website as community development staff.
She claims the county discharged her on Oct. 18, 2017.
The suit made little progress due to discovery disputes.
Last December, Wolf moved to continue the discovery deadline.
She proposed a settlement conference and all parties agreed.
Sison will preside at the conference by assignment from District Judge Staci Yandle, who would preside at trial.
Michael Wagner of Belleville represents Chapman.
David Schott and Tori Walls of Edwardsville represent Prenzler.
Christopher Bailey and Katie Fechte of St. Louis represent Hulme.
Christi Coleman, John Gilbert, Philip Lading, and Benjamin Wesselschmidt, all of the Sandberg Phoenix firm of St. Louis, represent Madison County.