WARREN TWP., Ohio - A federal labor lawsuit filed against Warren Township and its Board of Trustees has been dismissed after a settlement was reached.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda Knapp of the U.S. District Court has issued a final order approving the settlement agreement and dismissing the case. The order resolves all claims brought by current and former employees who alleged the township failed to provide proper overtime pay.

The lawsuit, initially filed in June 2024 by Gregory Wrightsman, was brought as a collective action under the Fair Labor Standards Act, or FLSA, a federal law that governs minimum wage and overtime pay standards for most public and private employers.

The plaintiffs, which ultimately included Wrightsman and four employees who formally joined the action—Roger Bruce, Ambrozia St. John, Robert Meeker, and Annette Schick—contended the township failed to pay them at the required time-and-a-half rate for hours worked beyond 40 per week.

Warren Township consistently denied the allegations, maintaining in court filings that it was not liable and did not owe damages to any of those involved. However, to avoid continued legal costs and the risks associated with litigation, the township agreed to a settlement with Wrightsman and the other plaintiffs.

Under the FLSA, settlements in collective actions require approval from a judge to ensure the terms are fair and reasonable to the plaintiffs. The court order notes that, after reviewing the terms, Judge Knapp determined the proposed Settlement Agreement and Release met the requirements. The full terms of the settlement, including the financial amounts paid to the plaintiffs, were not detailed in the court’s public dismissal order.

In addition to resolving the overtime claims, the court approved payments for attorneys’ fees and expenses for the plaintiffs’ counsel. The judge specifically found that the requested hourly rate of $425 for the plaintiffs’ counsel was reasonable based on their experience and the prevailing rates for wage and hour litigation in the region.

The dismissal concludes the legal dispute that lasted over 15 months.