Jefferson County administrator Jim Moore was fired Wednesday night in the wake of a $766,000 tab the county has paid out to settle and litigate age- and sex-discrimination cases involving him.
The three commissioners unanimously voted to oust Moore, who was on track to earn about $150,000 this year. Spokeswoman Kathryn Heider said the reasons for the firing would not be revealed because it is a personnel matter. The commissioners met in secret to discuss the matter, then voted in public on the firing.
Heider could not immediately say whether Moore is receiving a severance package.
The federal lawsuits brought by former county employees Judy Goebel, 60, and Jerelyn Bower, 56, claimed that Moore fired them in 2007 based on their age and gender, and that he created a hostile work environment.
Moore and county officials denied the charges, saying the women were fired because of budget issues.
Even so, the county settled with Goebel, the former human-services director, in June for $275,000 and with Bower, head of support services, for $325,000 last month.
Another $166,918 was shelled out to pay for legal fees.
