The town of Stowe has reached a $100,000 settlement with ex-Fire Chief Kyle Walker, who was axed amid allegations that he repeatedly sexually assaulted a woman when he was a police officer, including when he was on duty.
The deal was blasted Friday by an attorney for the woman who made the allegations against Walker.
“It looks like, from our vantage point, it’s a reward for bad behavior,” said Christina Nolan, attorney for Rachel Fisher. “It’s hard to watch a six-figure payout happen at the end of this.”
In addition to the $100,000 payment, the deal amends the language the town is using to describe Walker’s departure from his job as fire chief, terming it a “resignation” rather than a firing.
Town Manager Charles Safford said in December that he fired Walker as fire chief after he failed to “regain public trust.” Walker had been removed months earlier from his police officer’s job with the town amid the sexual assault allegations but had been allowed to remain the fire chief.
Walker challenged his termination as fire chief, which resulted in the payment outside of court. As part of the settlement, Walker waived his right to sue the town.
Walker has said he had sex several times with Fisher, including when he was on duty as a police officer, but claimed it was a consensual affair.
Vermont State Police investigated the allegations last spring and forwarded its information to Washington County State’s Attorney Rory Thibault. He declined to bring charges, saying, in part, that there was not enough evidence to bring a case to trial.
The town’s selectboard approved the $100,000 settlement at a meeting last month, as first reported by the Stowe Reporter.
Safford, the town manager, provided VTDigger with the document Friday labeled, “Agreed Upon Statement.” The two-paragraph statement does not provide any additional insight into why the agreement was reached or how the $100,000 figure was determined.
The statement’s final paragraph reads, “Kyle submitted a letter of resignation from all municipal positions effective December 16, 2021, and it was accepted by Town Manager Charles Safford. Neither intends to comment further.”
In addition to fire chief, Walker had served as the town’s health officer and emergency management director.
Safford did not return a phone call seeking additional information and did not answer emailed questions on where the $100,000 would come from to pay the settlement.
Instead, he forwarded a link to the Stowe Reporter story, which indicated that the money would come from insurance funds. The newspaper reported that the town would have to pay an insurance deductible, though it was not clear how big the deductible would be.
VTDigger filed a public records request with the town Friday, seeking more details on the payout.
Stowe Selectboard Chair Billy Adams did not return a call Friday afternoon seeking comment.
Lisa Shelkrot, an attorney for Walker who signed the settlement document, referred comment Friday to the co-counsel in the case, lawyer Carmen Ortiz, who was not available Friday.
The town manager’s initial decision last year to keep Walker on as fire chief, despite firing him as a police officer, led to weekly protests in downtown Stowe. Attendees sought to have Walker ousted from a job that had a salary of more than $80,000 a year.
Walker’s $100,000 settlement with the town is on top of the $24,544 check that he received in December when he was fired, covering accrued time off, and a $782 check to cover time he worked in the week prior to his termination.
The seven-page settlement document between the town and Walker stated that he “desires to voluntarily settle and compromise” any claims with the town. The settlement document also stated that both sides “deny that they have any liability to or have committed any wrongful acts against any opposing party or any other person.”
Nolan, Fisher’s attorney, said Friday that the language of the settlement, terming Walker’s departure as fire chief a resignation rather than a termination, was concerning.
“We think the town had ample grounds to fire Walker, both when they did and before they did,” Nolan said. “We certainly think they were justified in making the termination.”
Nolan, while slamming the $100,000 payout to Walker, praised her client’s courage in coming forward and speaking out publicly.
“What she has done for survivors and on behalf of survivors is priceless,” the attorney said.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Accuser’s lawyer calls $100K payout to ousted Stowe fire chief ‘a reward for bad behavior’.