Two lawsuits that had been filed against the longtime executive director of OnTrack addiction services have been settled in mediation. The settlement came in early 2019, but was quiet and just recently members of the community reached out to a local newspaper asking for an update on the case.

According to the lawsuit, Rita Sullivan mistreated employees of the non-profit. The allegations were lengthy and resulted in Sullivan being fired after nearly four decades of service. The company also changed its logo following the scandal.

The lawsuit was filed in 2017 after five employees asked for nearly $8 million in damages in Jackson County Circuit Court. The lawsuit named Sullivan, the non-profit, and community leaders. The community leaders named in the suit has since stepped down from their positions.

The following year, three more employees came forward claiming they had been retaliated against for blowing the whistle on Sullivan’s behavior. They claimed they were facing state wage and family leave violations and had endured emotional distress because of the events.

Everyone involved agreed to dismiss the lawsuits as a result of mediation. The judgment was filed in June after the mediation and resulted in a dismissal with prejudice. Lawyers’ fees and costs were not negotiated as part of the mediation.

There had been other people named in the lawsuit against OnTrack, but their names were dropped from the suit prior to the mediation. The board of directors for the non-profit resigned voluntarily in October 2017. The interim executive and deputy executive directors were removed from the suit in February of last year after resigning voluntarily from their positions.