Trumbull County employee settles suit against commissioners for $225,000

WARREN, Ohio - We now know the amount agreed upon to settle $1 million discrimination lawsuit filed against the Trumbull County Commissioners by one of their employees.
A release signed by Dawn Guarino Gedeon discloses that the receptionist accepted $225,000 to settle all claims against the commissioners.
Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Benita Pearson signed an order acknowledging that attorneys for the commissioners and Gedeon had reached a settlement.
The complaint was filed by Gedeon in March of last year alleging she was the victim of discrimination, defamation, and emotional distress.
Noting that she is of Italian American heritage, Gedeon accused Commissioner Niki Frenchko of repeatedly making derisive comments about Italian Americans, likening Italians to “mafia types and organized crime members”, and allegedly referring to Trumbull County’s Italian American employees as “greasy” and “sausage makers” akin to Michael or Don Corleone from “The Godfather” movie.
Just days after the lawsuit was filed, Judge Pearson issued a gag order to prevent those involved from making public comments on the case.
Over the past two years, five other civil cases involving the commissioners have been filed in federal court.