Marty Brooks (FOX6 News Milwaukee)
MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Former Wisconsin Center District President and CEO Marty Brooks and the district's board of directors have reached a $350,000 settlement following his termination earlier this year.
The agreement resolves a dispute between Brooks and the board, which oversees the Baird Center, the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena and the Miller High Life Theatre.
The board voted to fire Brooks in June after raising questions about his use of district credit cards, a decision Brooks formally appealed.
Breaking down the $350,000 payout
By the numbers:
Under the terms of the signed deal, the district will pay Brooks a lump sum of $350,000 to resolve all claims.
The payment is divided into two parts:
- $300,000 is classified as wages and will be taxed under standard payroll withholdings on a W-2 form.
- $50,000 is designated as damages resolving Brooks' claims that the board violated his constitutional right to due process.
The final sum is higher than what the board initially proposed.
At a public hearing in July, Brooks' attorney, Stephen Kravit, said the board had previously offered a $200,000 settlement. Kravit rejected that amount, stating it fell short of the pay Brooks was owed under the terms of his termination agreement.
Dig deeper:
As part of the agreement, the district will also return an uncashed check for $5,041.02 to Brooks. Brooks wrote the check to cover several disputed credit card expenses. But the third parties who received the goods and services associated with those expenses have since paid the district back directly.
The settlement states that returning the check isn't an admission of fault by either party.
What they're saying:
"With this matter now resolved, the District is focused on the future and on fulfilling its mission to serve our community, partners, guests and the events we host," Wisconsin Center District Board Chair Omar Shaikh said in a press release. "The Board of Directors is united in moving forward together and remains committed to the District’s continued success."
The Source: Information for this story was gathered from a Wisconsin Center District press release, settlement agreement and prior FOX6 News coverage. This story was reported from Eden Prairie, Minnesota.