The Novato fire district reached a settlement of nearly $200,000 with a firefighter it terminated for failing a drug test and other alleged violations.
Kirk Lewis received $150,000 from the district’s insurer under the settlement. The district itself paid another $49,000 to Lewis’ lawyers.
The district admitted no wrongdoing but agreed to regard Lewis’ exit as a resignation rather than a termination.
Both fire Chief Mark Heine and Gregg Adam, a lawyer for Lewis, declined to comment on the resolution. The settlement includes a prohibition on discussing it with the media.
The lawsuit stemmed from an incident on Aug. 12, 2015, at the fire station on Atherton Avenue. Lewis was in his dorm room.
A fire captain smelled marijuana outside the dorm room window and asked Lewis if he was smoking it. Eventually Lewis was ordered into the captain’s office for questioning.