Christina Hendrickson, who briefly served as director of real estate for the Municipality of Anchorage in 2021, has settled a lawsuit claiming she was unlawfully fired by Mayor Dave Bronson a few months after he took office.
In July, Hendrickson signed an agreement with the city voiding a trial that had been scheduled for September in state Superior Court. News of the settlement was not announced by either party at the time it was reached, and the case was officially dismissed in August.
Under the terms of the settlement, Hendrickson was paid $18,869, far below what she and attorneys initially sought when the lawsuit was filed. In exchange, she dropped the claim that her termination violated whistleblower protections and entitled her to compensation for damages.
The municipality denied those claims and under the settlement admits to no fault or wrongdoing.
“Christina Hendrickson and Municipality of Anchorage have mutually agreed to resolve all pending claims ... to each party’s satisfaction,” read a joint statement agreed to by lawyers in the case.
Hendrickson also agreed to forgo any future lawsuits related to the incident.
The case was the first of multiple wrongful termination suits filed against Bronson since he took office in the summer of 2021, some of which have included allegations of retaliation and defamation.
On Monday, the Anchorage Assembly authorized up to $250,000 in legal payments to a private law firm to represent the municipality against claims filed by former municipal manager Amy Demboski, who alleges she was fired after calling attention to legally dubious conduct by Bronson and other members of the administration last year.
Hendrickson, who now works in the private sector, did not return a message seeking comment.