A former administrator with the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) located in Devil’s Lake, North Dakota has agreed to enter mediation with the town’s jail board over accusations that she was terminated in retaliation for her firing of a male employee and claims that she suffered discrimination and a hostile work environment.

Denny Deegan was fired in August, 2014 from the facility.  In her complaint, she claimed this was a direct result of her decision to terminate a male corrections officer earlier in the year.  She also stated that this was the culmination of a lengthy period of ongoing discrimination against her due to her gender and her disabilities.

She further stated that on the advice of her physician, she took a medical leave of absence and she was dismissed during the leave.

Deegan is not the only woman with a complaint against the LEC.  A coordinator named Debra Adahl claimed that her supervisors released confidential medical information about her without her permission.  The LEC has also seen a large number of resignations, terminations, and other turmoil, leaving the agency in chaos amidst accusations of discrimination and other negative policies.

Under North Dakota Law, mediation is a voluntary action between both parties; neither Deegan nor the LEC can be compelled into mediation.  It does not preclude litigation down the line if a settlement cannot be reached, however.  The LEC has stated it intends to resolve all complaints against it within the next six months.