By Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
April 22, 2015

KANSAS CITY, Missouri— The Kansas City’s Finance and Audit Committee and City Council approved a $225,000 settlement with former City Councilman Michael Brooks’ former aide.

City officials voted in favor of settling the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission complaint by Tonia Titus against her former boss at last week’s city council meeting.

During the committee meeting, the law department recommended settling because a jury could believe her allegation and the city could be subject to even higher damages and attorneys fees after a trial. Titus was an aide to Brooks from 2011 until last fall when she accused him of choking her in his office. Brooks denied the allegations, however, still resigned from his council seat on Jan. 2. 2015. No criminal charges were ever filed.

Councilman Dick Davis was the lone dissenting vote from the council. Councilman Jermaine Reed was absent for the vote. The vote took place without him in attendance. The council approved the settlement 11-1, with Reed absent for the vote. During the committee meeting, Davis said he thought the amount was, “excessive.”