City council members voted unanimously to approve the one-and-a-half million settlement, according to the city attorney's office.
In closed session last Thursday, five council members voted to settle the allegations against the city. Council Pro Tem and mayoral candidate Sheng Thao abstained from that vote and Councilmembers Carroll Fife and Dan Kalb were excused.
The one-and-a-half million consists of about 250-thousand dollars to cover the former chief's litigation costs, a portion of her attorney's fees and about 340-thousand dollars – which is what she would have received as severance if she did not file suit.
In the suit, Kirkpatrick sought more than three million dollars in damages; a jury awarded her the severance amount. Since it was a whistleblower suit, Kirkpatrick was also entitled to attorney's fees.
Commissioners with the Oakland Police Commission voted 7-0 on Feb. 20, 2020, in favor of terminating Kirkpatrick without cause, a decision Schaaf affirmed. Kirkpatrick then filed a wrongful termination suit against the city. In it she alleged the city violated her rights to free speech and that the police commission fired her in retaliation for blowing the whistle on alleged misconduct by police commissioners.
