NIC settles Gridley lawsuit

COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho College appears to have settled a lawsuit filed last December by Mike Gridley, former attorney for the city of Coeur d'Alene. 

The lawsuit challenged the validity of the contract between NIC and attorney Art Macomber, as well as that of former interim president Greg South.

Trustees voted unanimously during Wednesday night's regular monthly meeting of the board to authorize board chair Mike Waggoner to take action on the case that trustees discussed behind closed doors in an executive session prior to the regular meeting. No details were disclosed. Gridley said the parties went through mediation Nov. 29 and came to a resolution.

“We successfully and amicably agreed to settle the lawsuit,” Gridley said during the public comment period of Wednesday’s meeting. “It’s something I’m pleased with.”

Waggoner also read a brief statement, which he said the board had authorized him to share during the closed session.

“The board of trustees would like to announce that it has no intent to remove Dr. Swayne as president of North Idaho College,” he said. “That’s the official position of the board.”

The full terms of the settlement are not yet publicly known.

Gridley said he was satisfied with the outcome of the mediation.

“I would encourage you to look hard at settling any remaining litigation,” he told trustees Wednesday.

That includes a lawsuit filed in November by NIC President Nick Swayne, which alleges the college violated Idaho’s public record laws by denying Swayne’s request for a copy of an investigative report he says involves allegations against him by another NIC employee.

Idaho law generally allows a person to inspect documents from an investigative file “to which he or she is a named party” if such documents are not otherwise legally prohibited from disclosure.

Public officials may inspect and copy their own personnel records, with some exceptions. A person may also inspect and copy the records of a public entity pertaining to that person, even if the record is otherwise exempt from public disclosure.

Legal counsel for NIC agreed last week to submit the investigative report in question to the court under seal so Judge Barry McHugh can review it ahead of a Dec. 29 hearing.

Waggoner indicated Wednesday that the report must be provided to the court by Friday.

    Waggoner