EAST ST. LOUIS - Former Illinois transportation department employee Shelly Shevlin of Freeburg settled a claim that former governor Bruce Rauner terminated her for partisan motives.
Her counsel Ronald Abernathy of Belleville and assistant attorney general Matt Banach stipulated to dismissal with prejudice at U.S. district court on Jan. 3.
Transportation secretary Randall Blankenhorn terminated Shevlin as human resources technician in 2016.
She sued Rauner in 2018, along with Blankenhorn, his chief of staff Matt Magalis, and his compliance chief Bruce Harmening.
Abernathy claimed they alleged unprofessional and unethical conduct as a pretext for violating Shevlin’s rights of free speech and free association.
He claimed the real reason for termination was that prior Democrat administrations employed her or that she refused to affiliate with Rauner’s Republican administration.
The state moved to dismiss the complaint and Chief U.S. District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel denied it in 2019.
The clerk assigned District Judge David Dugan upon his confirmation in 2020.
In 2022, Shevlin dismissed the claim without prejudice.
She filed it again in 2023 and the clerk assigned Dugan due to his previous connection.
He set trial this May but he called it off upon receiving the stipulation.
The stipulation specified that the suit would be dismissed without leave to reinstate.
Each side agreed to bear its own attorney fees, costs and expenses.
State payroll data shows Shelley Shevlin earns $6,000 a month as a corrections executive.
A Menard prisoner who sued many employees at district court in 2023 identified Shelly Shevlin as law library supervisor.