Approximately two years ago, Samantha Merideth brought her action against Nicholas Hermann for sexual battery, sexual harassment, hostility in the workplace, and wrongful termination. As the lawsuit was pending, Samantha Merideth’s attorneys took statements under oath from Nicholas Hermann and several other witnesses. To say the least, Samantha’s account of the sexual battery was largely corroborated. Hermann admitted to being with Samantha, alone, in his hotel room, late at night, drinking, making comments on Samantha’s appearance, putting her in handcuffs, and showing her his gun.
On July 12, 2021, Nicholas Hermann, the State of Indiana, and Vanderburgh County collectively agreed to settle with Samantha Merideth for a total of $75,000.00, with $1000.00 designated as lost wages and $74,000.00 for Samantha’s pain, suffering, and emotional distress that she endured over several years at the Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office.
While there is no amount of money that can make Samantha’s experience go away,Samantha is satisfied. From the outset of her case, Samantha simply wanted NicholasHermann to acknowledge his wrongdoing and step down from his position as Vanderburgh County’s highest ranking law enforcement officer. This has never been about the money for Samantha. It is unfortunate that Nicholas Hermann does not admit any wrongdoing and remains in office, but his agreement to settle for $74,000.00 as compensation for Samantha’s pain and suffering speaks volumes. While Samantha may never get an apology from Mr. Hermann, she is hopeful that her case inspires and encourages other women to stand up against sexual assault and harassment. We believe this is the first case of this nature filed against an elected prosecutor in Vanderburgh County, and we consider the settlement as a victory for Samantha and others alike.
Although Hermann agreed to settle for $75,000.00, he will not being paying Samantha anything. Instead, since Hermann is a State/County officer, the settlement proceeds will come from the State’s and County’s tax revenue. Currently, the Vanderburgh County Commission has approved $45,000.00 for Samantha, but the Governor, Eric Holcomb, has to sign off on the remaining $30,000.00. Per the agreement, we expect Governor Holcomb to approve the remaining settlement proceeds by August 26, 2021.
In response to the County attorney’s statement (as reported in the Evansville Courier and Press) that they settled only to avoid costs of defense, we reject that contention. As this case was headed for a trial by jury, we believe the State and County settled to prevent a jury from hearing Samantha’s case. A jury could have awarded Samantha much more than $75,000.00. The County’s position that this was a settlement to avoid costs of defense sends the message that our government is willing to pay out $75,000.00 for any lawsuit to avoid costs of defense, which makes no sense and would be a gross use of our tax dollars.
Sincerely,
____________________________________
Brandon S. Danks,
Attorney No. 35512-49
Danks and Danks, LLC
1 SE 9th Street, Suite 101
Evansville, Indiana, 47708
(812) 426-1000 (Office)
(812) 426-0751 (Fax)
brandon@danks-danks.com
Attorney for Samantha Merideth
