A newly released agreement outlines the $10,000 settlement between the City of Pullman and a prolific open government litigator to resolve his recent lawsuit over the city’s Public Records Act compliance.
Eric Hood, of Langley, Wash., filed a claim against the city in November, alleging the clerk’s office had failed to follow through on a 2018 public records request for state audit records. Read his full complaint here.
A Dec. 31 settlement, obtained by Whitman County Watch via a public records request, indicates city officials agreed to pay Hood $10,000 to file for a permanent dismissal of his case and release of any other claims.
“Such payment shall be inclusive of all costs or fees,” the settlement states. “Such payment does not constitute an admission by the City of liability, wrongdoing, or damages.”
The settlement also requires the city to provide a copy of a management letter from the state auditor’s office that was not seemingly disclosed in response to Hood’s original 2018 request. Management letters often detail more minor audit concerns that are left out of the published reports.
A Whitman County Superior Court order dismissed the case on Jan. 2 based on a stipulation from both Hood and the city. Pullman City Attorney Laura McAloon confirmed the dismissal in an email without providing additional details.
“The City is unable to comment further,” she wrote.
The settlement, in fact, includes a confidentiality clause that prohibits the parties from disclosing the details of the agreement — except for providing documents that are subject to the Public Records Act. (Upon request, the Pullman clerk’s office released a copy of the settlement in less than a day.)
The agreement indicates Hood also agreed to withdraw any pending records requests he has with the city, including those related to his case.
“By executing this Agreement,” the document states, “Hood hereby agrees that all requests to the City under the Washington State Public Records Act have been satisfied.”
As reported earlier this week, Hood has filed dozens of similar lawsuits against cities, school districts, port authorities and other agencies in recent years. He has reportedly received multiple settlements from those cases.
Read the entire settlement agreement below: