Ex-deputy gets $500,000 settlement in paternal leave dispute

Cedar Rapids, Iowa – A former Linn County sheriff’s deputy who filed a lawsuit against officers who made fun of him because he was on paternity leave got a $500,000 settlement.

Last year, Scott Becker filed a federal lawsuit against the county and the sheriff’s office because when he requested time off to care for his newborn son, he claimed he was harassed and discriminated against because other deputies refused to cover his shifts while he was away.

The county denied Becker’s charges in the settlement. Sheriff Brian Gardner attributed the harassment to a lack of staff.

According to the settlement document, Becker will be paid $334,062 and his lawyers will be paid $240,937.