A lawyer for the state acknowledged Tuesday that a hitch has developed in efforts to settle a lawsuit alleging that former Gov. Jim Thompson illegally hired, fired and transferred state workers based on their political affiliations.
But a lawyer for the five current and former state workers who brought the suit went a step further, saying it appeared that attempts to settle the suit had broken down altogether, meaning that it may go to trial.
”It has nothing to do with us (the plaintiffs),” Springfield lawyer Kathryn Eisenhart said. ”It looks like there won`t be an out-of-court settlement.”
Eisenhart and attorney Mary Lee Leahy represent state worker Cynthia Rutan and four others who claim they were discriminated against by the former Republican governor`s administration because of their Democratic Party affiliation.
