It was last November 16th that Douglas Toole resigned as Vermilion County Public Health Administrator; after being told by the Board of Health, his attorney says, that they no longer had confidence in him.
Toole’s attorney, Ronald Langacker out of Urbana, says the Vermilion County Board of Health was extremely short on specifics, and that the whole thing, in Toole’s eyes, came out of the blue.
AUDIO: He didn’t have any forewarning of what had been taking place. That’s kind of what prompted us to be filing something under the Open Meetings Act. I will say that the issues that we have, that we had actually argued regarding the Open Meetings Act, is something that we’ve been able to get resolved, pretty well, on a pretty good basis with Vermilion County. And we’ve been able to reach a resolution in the matter.
A final legal agreement with Toole was voted upon and passed by the Vermilion County Board of Health, without comment, this past Monday night, March 27th; at the Health Department. Langacker says Toole has received pay up until the date of the agreement, plus three months of severance pay, and reimbursement of attorney fees. Langacker says agreements like this can sometimes take months or years, and he’s grateful that this one did not.
AUDIO: I think it’s been resolved from our end. I thank the county for working with us early on the situation and trying to reach a quick resolution. I always think that’s best for all parties. But from my client’s standpoint, yes, we’re satisfied with the result.
Toole had worked for the Vermilion County Health Department since the early 90s. Environmental Health Director Jana Messmore continues to serve as Interim Public Health Administrator.
