Today a settlement was finalized over a lawsuit brought by two former psychiatrists at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute, who sued the Dunleavy Administration after being fired when the Dunleavy Administration took office at the end of 2018.
The state reached an agreement that all parties have approved and it settles all claims made, or that could be made, by the two former employees.
Neither Dunleavy nor his former chief of staff Tuckerman Babcock admitted to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement. The Dunleavy Administration decided it was in the State’s best interest to move on, with a reasonable settlement value that avoids the risk and expense of continued litigation.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy maintains that the state’s incoming chief executive officer must have the authority to make policy and staff changes, when those staff members have their fingers in policy decisions.
Psychiatrist Anthony Blanford was awarded $220,000, and John Bellville was awarded $275,000.
The Dunleavy Administration has, since taking office, made substantial changes to the clinical services at the Alaska Psychiatric Institute, which was in imminent danger of losing its accreditation when Dunleavy took office at the end of 2018.
