Richmond: Public records officer fired for exposing city’s alleged unlawful practices will get $549,000
Richmond’s City Council has finalized a $549,000 settlement to resolve a whistleblower lawsuit filed by Connie Clay, the city’s former public records officer. Clay originally sued the city for $250,000 in March 2024. The lawsuit alleged that city officials routinely concealed or delayed access to public records to which citizens were legally entitled.
This payment concludes two years of legal conflict spanning two mayoral terms, stemming from Clay’s claim that she was wrongfully terminated after exposing the city’s alleged practice of improperly withholding public information.
“It’s just such a huge disappointment that the bureaucrats in City Hall do not want to follow the law. And if I don’t say something, who will?” Clay previously told CBS 6.
The former Public Records Officer for Richmond claimed she was fired by her supervisor, former Public Relations Director Petula Burks. Clay alleged that her termination followed her raising concerns that the city’s Freedom of Information Act practices were illegal.
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“There were many instances where I was asked to withhold information that should have been released or to sit on records that should have been released,” Clay recounted during the interview. “I think they just wanted to do what they wanted to do. I had a conversation with Petula at one point and she said, ‘I just don’t want the city to look stupid.’ And I remember thinking, ‘Well, the city needs to stop doing stupid things.’”
The city fought the lawsuit, claiming that officials’ disagreements with Clay were solely about Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) matters, that she was difficult to work with, and that she did not meet the legal requirements to be considered a whistleblower. The legal action began during former Mayor Levar Stoney’s term and was continued by the city under the current Mayor, Danny Avula.
Court filings indicated that the two parties engaged in bitter disputes as the potential trial approached.
A judge recently ruled that the city’s lawyers “demonstrated a lack of good faith” in settlement negotiations and failed to comply with court orders last month.
The judge criticized the city for a “reckless failure” to protect evidence, specifically a lost work cell phone belonging to Burks. Consequently, the judge ruled that if the case proceeds to trial, the jury would be instructed to assume that any information on the missing phone would have been detrimental to the city’s defense.
Later, Burks was removed as a named defendant in the lawsuit.
Richmond’s Chief Administrative Officer, Odie Donald, said in a statement on April 10 that there was a settlement in a case involving a “plaintiff” whom the city maintained did not meet the criteria of a whistleblower. Clay was not named in the statement.
Donald stated that the settlement, which he emphasized does not constitute “an admission of wrongdoing,” was agreed upon because “continued litigation is not in the best financial interest of the City or its residents.”
Clay and her attorney, Sarah Robb, issued a statement indicating the matter had been amicably resolved, adding that they would offer no further comment.
