A former spokeswoman for the State Attorney’s Office in Orange County has agreed to accept a $40,000 settlement to end her federal lawsuit alleging the office violated her rights under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Keisha Mulfort, who once served as chief of staff and public information officer for State Attorney Monique Worrell, agreed to the settlement last month to resolve issues outlined in her legal complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida. The settlement was also signed by attorneys representing the State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Department of Financial Services.
The events described in the legal action surrounded Mulfort’s planned maternity leave in 2023 after the birth of her daughter in May of that year. She later requested that her maternity leave, which was approved under the FMLA, be extended in August due to a post-partum depression diagnosis, according to the lawsuit.
But the day that State Attorney Worrell was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis – on Aug. 9 – Mulfort was terminated, the complaint says. In addition, in the days before she was informed about her dismissal, State Attorney’s Office employees showed up at her home seeking to obtain social media passwords and to take back any state-owned property in her possession, according to the lawsuit.
DeSantis suspended Worrell due to allegations of incompetence and neglect of duty. But she was re-elected to her position with nearly 60% of the votes in November of last year, ending the interim administration of the office by Judge Andrew Bain.
“(The State Attorney’s Office for the Ninth Judicial Circuit) retaliated against plaintiff for engaging in protected activity by terminating plaintiff’s employment – a materially adverse employment action,” the lawsuit states. “Defendant’s actions were willful and done with malice.”
The complaint also alleged state and federal civil rights violations, as well as violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and the federal Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Nearly half of the settlement funds – $18,418 – will go to Mulfort’s attorney fees and court costs, according to the settlement. She will also receive a lump sum of $15,107.40 and $6,474.60 in back pay.
The State Attorney’s Office did not acknowledge any wrongdoing but said that the resolution of the litigation in a timely manner was in its interest.
“... The agency in good faith believes that the employee’s claims related to or arising from employment, whether stated or unstated, are not valid ones, has contested the claims and would continue to contest the claims, and in good faith believes there is a valid foundation for the defense of such claims …” the settlement states.
Mulfort agreed to drop the lawsuit and not file any additional claims for damages related to past actions of the State Attorney’s Office.
The plaintiff had sought reinstatement to a position comparable to the one she held in 2023 as well as back pay plus interest, pension rights and all benefits she had accumulated, according to her amended legal complaint filed in August of last year.
Neither Mulfort nor her attorney responded to requests for comment about the settlement, in which she said that she had not been denied leave under the FMLA.