The town of Oak Bluffs has settled sexual harassment and discrimination claims against its fire chief John Rose, agreeing to pay former fire department administrator Cynthia Hatt $97,500 and unspecified costs of mediation leading to the settlement.
A copy of the settlement agreement was provided to the Gazette Thursday in response to a public records request.
The settlement was signed on Sept. 10, 2019, but its release comes at the same time the fire department is under investigation by the FBI over its ambulance billing practices. To date there is no indication that the FBI probe is related to the sexual harassment and discrimination claims.
Ms. Hatt, who was employed as an office administrator for the fire department between 2013 and April 2019, filed a sexual harassment and discrimination grievance last May with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) against the fire department and Mr. Rose.