Cunliffe Whistle-Blower Suit Settled by City for $800,000

A tentative $800,000 settlement has been reached in a lawsuit by a “whistle-blower” against the city and Sylvia Cunliffe, the fiery department head forced from office in a wave of scandal, authorities said Thursday.

The lawsuit by Robert O’Neill accused Cunliffe of defamation, invasion of privacy and infliction of intentional and negligent emotional distress because of Cunliffe’s distribution of a letter in June, 1987, detailing his criminal record as a juvenile.

Cunliffe, the former head of the Department of General Services, obtained the information about O’Neill’s past through department security officers and circulated the letter to council members and Mayor Tom Bradley, allegedly in retaliation for O’Neill’s having blown the whistle on certain of her activities.

O’Neill’s attorney, Jay Plotkin, and Deputy City Atty. Art Walsh said the settlement was approved Monday in Superior Court and must still be endorsed by the City Council.

“This has been a very debilitating and emotionally draining experience for my client,” Plotkin said.

Because the letter was circulated by a top-level city official, the city itself was named as a defendant in the lawsuit. The city agreed to pay both Cunliffe’s share of damages and legal fees in a negotiated agreement under which Cunliffe retired in December, 1987, forestalling plans to fire her amid allegations of mismanagement, nepotism and favoritism.